


The Cheerleader and the Punk

by BuyTheTicketTakeTheRide



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Emo Kai, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Flashbacks, Physical Abuse, Punk/goth Kai, Verbal Abuse, Verbal Humiliation, popular Bonnie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-14 17:48:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 21,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29299923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BuyTheTicketTakeTheRide/pseuds/BuyTheTicketTakeTheRide
Summary: Bonnie’s the captain of the cheerleading squad. Kai’s the town’s degenerate. What could they possibly have in common? Hatred for each other of course. An AU High school enemies to lovers tale where Bonkai figure out they’re not as different as they’d like to think.Short multi chapter. TW's for Mention of drug use. Bullying. Underage sex. Verbal/physical abuse.
Relationships: Bonnie Bennett/Damon Salvatore, Bonnie Bennett/Malachai "Kai" Parker, Caroline Forbes/Tyler Lockwood, Elena Gilbert/Damon Salvatore
Comments: 36
Kudos: 38





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, another fucking story I probably can't finish. But when the inspiration hits it hits. I was inspired by BorgiaBabe's Muggy. If you haven't checked hers out please do. But yeah, I wanted to do my own version of AU Highschool BK. Though mines will hardly be fluffy. You guys know how much I enjoy the whole enemies to lovers trope. Okay, so here it is. Enjoy!

**The Cheerleader and the Punk**

"Hey, I heard you were the guy to go to if I needed something to help me, ahem.. focus" Kai's shocked to hear this particular voice directed towards him. It's been years it feels since Bonnie Bennett has decided to grace him with her lovely presence.

"Did you now?" He replies, not bothering to turn around as he puts in his locker combination. He's not sure why he's bothering to switch out his books, not like he'll be using them anyway.

"Yeah," he hears her confirm, her voice going all soft like it used to when they were in junior high, when she was filled with so much nerves and anxiety and lacked the confidence she did now that she was Miss popular. "Look.. I need some addy." At this, Kai finally turns around, trying to hide the amusement lurking behind his pupils as he watches her tuck a tuft of her perfect chocolate tresses behind her ear. She shifts uncomfortably on her small feet. "Can you get that for me or not?" It's a feat not to laugh. The way she's trying to sound cool, exude it, like she does this thing all the time. Soliciting drugs from the local drug dealer. The one she's embarrassed by. The one she absolutely loathes.

Her fidgety movements betray her. She's looking around like merely talking to him may smear her pristine image of perfection that she's built for herself over the past three years.

The head shake comes automatic, "I don't know what you're talking about, cheerleader" he says in the most clueless tone he could muster, his face morphing into a bemused mask of perplexity.

She smiles, one devoid of humor. One that lets him know she's already fed up with him and his non compliance.

"I know you deal, _Kai._ " she states, a hard edge creeping into her tone. _Yes_ , this is the Bonnie Benett he knows. Not the meek one who she shedded like skin when puberty hit. "Tyler just told me how you hooked him up last week"

" _Deal?_ Whatever do you mean, Bennett?" he questions, turning away only briefly to shut his locker close. "I just know you're not speaking of _drugs_ because that would make me a degenerate and therefore you one just by association alone. And if I know anything, is that "Miss Perfect" Bonnie Bennett is no degenerate. She has her life together unlike the rest of us low lives " he reminds her, a slow teasing smile twisting his lips.

She glares at him. "Ok, I see you're not going to make this easy."

Casually, he falls back onto the hard row of lockers, drawing one boot up to rest solely against the cold-rolled steel, his grey-blue orbs eyeing her with immense humor.

"What do you want, huh? For me to pay you double? Tutor sessions for a week? I'm sure you could use them. Oh, I know." she pipes, eyes lighting up like she's thought of the most brilliant thing, "I could put in a good word with one of my friends?" she sing-songs.

At this, he snorts. It's an ungodly sound that has more than a few heads turning, "As if I would ever date one of your vapid ass soul sucking friends. I would rather peel every inch of my flesh off, inch by torturous inch, jump into a lake of hot burning acid, only to do it fifty million more times again"

"Okay, I get it. You hate my friends." she drones on, boredly.

And you. I hate you too little Bennett. _And don't you ever forget it,_ he thinks but doesn't say.

"What do you want then? Since apparently money isn't good enough..a first i'm sure for a drug dealer but whatever.." she mumbles the last part under her breath, seemingly to herself.

He blinks at her, and in a timber as emotionless as his expression, "I want you to beg"

Her mouth immediately plops open and then when she's recovered. "Are you fucking insane?"

"Hmm" he hums, smiling a little. Pushing himself up off the lockers. "Who knew goody two shoes Bennett had it in her to swear?" he comments, amused-like, "And to answer your question, I'm actually very sane despite popular belief"

"Look," she begins icily, her small yet curvy body moving in closer, a hint of jasmine suddenly teasing the sensory receptors in his nose. "I just need something to help me focus, you're acting as though I'm asking you to give up your first born son for me."

He just stares at her, as if he has no immediate plans on answering her. Apparently, this pisses her off because she sneers at him, "You really get off on this, don't you? Me having to come to you for anything? God, you're such a bastard."

He leans in closer, to where their noses are almost touching, which is a feat being he's nearly a foot taller than her, "Oh, you think this is a power trip? Oh no, I just want you to verbalize how much you need me. See how that's completely different?" he tilts his head slightly to the left. And when she says nothing, just throws him a look that could melt bone. "You asked me what I wanted. This is what I want, cheerleader" he clips out slowly, and he hates to acknowledge it, a tad seductively.

She jerks out of his orbit, her wide eyes filled with horror. "You're out of your mind, loser. You're not the only dealer in town, you know?" she lets him know with false confidence.

"Well, if that's the case, what are you still doing talking to me for?"

She doesn't say anything to this, just gives him one last withering glare before moving on to her next class.

* * *

"Why were you talking to Malachai Parker today?"

The question comes so out of left field it nearly has Bonnie choking on her pumpkin spice latte.

"What?" she blurts, setting down her drink on the cafeteria table, her horror filled eyes jerking to her best friend. Out of her peripheral, she sees Elena, her other equally best friend, eyes darting towards the blonde as well.

"Kai Parker," Caroline announces, all bored like, as if she hadn't been the one to bring it up in the first place, stabbing at her salad like it offends her. Her sapphire blue orbs finally coming to rest on Bonnie, "Tyler said he saw you two talking in the hall, said it looked like you were having a lovers quarrel," she pauses to let out a visible shudder, "He said it looked like you two were about to kiss" this all said with utter repulsion.

Bonnie's heart nearly stops in her chest, the fact that people had actually been paying attention to her and Kai's chit chat this morning and found it interesting enough to spread the five second interaction around like locker room fodder has her utterly horrified. Despite the panic that's surfacing inside, she keeps calm, she wouldn't have been named cheer captain if she easily folded under pressure. Taking another sip at her latte before answering, she relays making sure to screw up her features into a small frown while doing so, "First of all, that's gross. Second of all, Tyler must have been on some really good stuff if he hallucinated Kai and I almost kissing"

Which is true. Yeah, there was a moment where Kai got up in her face but by no means could his proximity ever be misconstrued as sexual in nature. Again gross.

Caroline laughs, then shakes her pretty little head, golden curls bouncing at the act. "That's what I thought." she says, spearing a cherry tomato before popping it in her mouth. "I told him he was mistaken." she comments, mouth full. "You'd never, especially when you're literally dating the hottest guy in school."

"Care" Elena interrupts her out spoken friend to remind her. "You're dating Tyler."

"Uh, I know. Don't tell him I said that." she says, looking to them both, with hardly remorseful eyes.

Bonnie snickers, "My lips are sealed and yes, I am dating the hottest guy in school" Bonnie says in agreement. "In what world would I even breathe the same oxygen as Malachai Parker?"

Caroline contradicts her statement about them not sharing the same air, "But you two were talking.."

Bonnie nearly rolls her eyes. Why wasn't this conversation over? Why did she suddenly feel like she was on trial? "Is that a crime?"

"Considering what he does to keep the trailer roof over his head.." Caroline cuts in, "I'd say yes"

Bonnie sighs, deciding to come clean. Caroline was like a dog with a bone with these sorts of things, best to just be upfront about the whole thing before the pretty blonde could get any ideas.

"I was trying to get him to sell me some addy. I'm starting to fall behind in one of my classes, not to mention I have this paper coming up. I just needed help. He refused, but whatever." she says with a careless shrug. Exuding an air that it's no big deal but clearly that doesn't translate well because her mousy hair friend is gaping at her.

"You," Elena begins, lifting her fork to point in Bonnie's direction, almost accusingly, "Bonnie Bennett, who's been on the honor roll since I've known you, which is my whole life, is falling behind in school work?" she concludes, her big brown eyes blinking robotically.

Bonnie shrugs one bronzed shoulder, shameful eyes darting down to her turkey club, "It's AP cal," she reasons, as if that's all that needed to be said.

"Bon, you could do that shit in your sleep." Caroline chimes in.

"I know. I just haven't been able to concentrate lately" she admits, almost embarrassingly.

"Do you want me to rummage through my mom's medicine cabinet?" Elena offers, "I'm sure she has some equivalent lying around somewhere"

And Bonnie had no doubt of this. Elena's mom wasn't exactly known as the most sound minded person in Mystic Falls.

"No, don't pilfer your moms pills, I'll be fine."

"You sure? I doubt she'll even notice. She barely can keep up with the day of the week let alone what pills she's taking and why"

"Yes, I'm sure." she assures the brunette, chuckling. "But thanks for offering," When Elena still doesn't look pacified, "Don't worry, i'll figure something out"

* * *

"How dumb do you think I am? Like on a scale of one through five, how moronic do I look to you?"

It's after the pep rally when Kai Parker corners her near the boys gymnasium. Normally she'd be reluctant to be seen talking to a guy who purposely dyes his hair electric blue and adorns more piercings than the cheerleading squad combined but being the crowd has mostly cleared out, she doesn't allow his unwelcome presence to ruffle her too much.

"What?" she blinks at him. Bored-like. Like she couldn't careless about what he was raging on about.

He rolls his eyes, as if utterly annoyed with her response. "A few hours after our little talk, your best friend's boyfriend tries to hit me up for the same exact product you tried to get me to sell to you earlier. He's never in the history of all our transactions ever requested to buy this particular product," he's careful not to say drugs or adderall. What does he think? She has a wire hidden under her cheer gear? "Do you truly expect me to believe this is coincidental?"

The head shake comes fervent, "I don't know what you're talking about" she states honestly, because it's true, she has no idea what he's going on about but now that she ponders it, this has Caroline written all over it. Despite the revelation she doesn't clue him in on it.

"Right, Miss prim and proper would never scheme to get something she really wanted, that behavior is reserved only for degenerates like me, right?"

He makes to walk off but she grabs hold of his wrist. "Why won't you sell to me? Is it because you think I'm going to narc? I can assure you I won't say a word to anyone"

He laughs crudely in her face. "Thats funny, considering you already broken said promise by getting shit for brains involved and secondly I don't recall saying I would never sell to you"

She finally lets go of his wrist, surprised he hadn't ripped it away earlier, "Right, you just want me to humiliate myself by begging for your own sick sadistic pleasure, no thanks."

He gives her the smarmiest smile he could muster, "Good luck finding someone who would sell to the sheriff's grand daughter, I'm sure that won't be a difficult feat at all for you"

Sarcasm, she loathes how he hands it out so generously like a child predator would candy.

"Whatever, that's none of your concern" she moves around him, itching to get away, always itching to get away. "If you'll excuse me I have a game to get ready for." and with that she's off to practice.

* * *

It's when she's in her bedroom, at her desk trying to work on her history paper but failing miserably because of all the yelling going on two rooms down that she realizes just how much she loathes Malachai Parker. All dipshit had to do was sell her some drugs. She'd be half way done with her paper by now because her mind would be too focused on the task at hand to even entertain the shouting match going on in the master suite.

Bonnie squeezes her eyes shut, trying to block out the elevated conversation she's heard at least thousand times now.

_"Where were you? Were you with him?"_

_"What are you talking about?"_

_"Mikaelson, were you with him today?!"_

_"I told you, I'm done seeing him. How are we ever going to be able to move forward if you keep dredging up the past?"_

_"Your car was parked outside his business last Tuesday"_

_"Have you been having someone follow me?"_

_"I wouldn't have to if you were ever at home, you do realize you have a family, right? A daughter who's the spitting image of you who you barely see!"_

Bonnie gives up on her paper, grabbing her keys and heads out the front door, not even bothering to be sneaky about it. No one would try to stop her anyway, too busy fighting over their failing marriage to notice.

* * *

"Bonnie, you made it" Tyler greets her at the front door of his gigantic home.

She's decided, since studying wasn't an option, she might as well hit up one of Tyler's infamous ragers. He's known to throw one after every big game and since she's in major need of a reprieve from all the shit going on at home she decided getting drunk on cheap beer and jell-o shots would be a great way to embark on this attempt of escapism.

Bonnie smiles. She's forcing it but he doesn't seem to notice, too busy checking her out with those overly glazed eyes of his. He makes her uncomfortable, the way he watches her sometimes. You'd think him having finally hooked up with her best friend would put an end to these predatory looks. Wrong, he still watches her and she still pretends not to notice. She brings her hands up to her bare arms, generating a port of warmth, it's quite nippy out and he still hasn't invited her inside. "Yep, figured I'd give the studying a break, Damon around?"

He notices the gesture, allowing her inside, the music is blasting to full capacity so it's hard to hear him when he speaks again, "Yeah he's" Tyler completely stills in his response, "-somewhere" he delivers the last line awkwardly.

It's odd, like he knew what he was going to say but decided against it at the last moment. And suddenly those eyes that were just greedily drinking her in can't seem to land on her long enough to make eye connection for anything beyond a second. "Okaaay" Bonnie drawls stretching the syllable, feeling her brows pull together on her forehead, "I'll go find him then"

He looks back at her long enough to give a forced smile and head nod before turning and shutting the door close behind her.

It takes Bonnie nearly ten minutes to locate her boyfriend. He's in the basement playing a game of pool with her best friend. This doesn't strike Bonnie as odd, Damon would battle a toddler at a game of pool if it meant showing off his impressive skills. It's the no one else around that niggles something uneasy inside her.

Narrowing her eyes, Bonnie takes slow steps down the stairs, watching them with hawk-like precision as they both apparently laugh at something, so hysterical it seems, that they've yet to notice her presence.

She clears her throat the moment her heels clears the bottom step.

That gets their attention. Both of their pretty heads popping up at the sound, the interruption consequently ceasing all laughter in its tracks.

"Oh, hey Bonnie" Elena greets first, her tone completely normal, it's usual pleasant lilt. Not guilty sounding at all, she notes. She feels terrible for actually thinking..she stops that train of thought before it can wander to places it shouldn't. You and Damon are not your parents, she reminds herself.

"Hey," she smiles, eyes shifting to the both of them before settling on her boyfriend. "What are you guys up to?"

It's Elena who answers, "Just wiping the floor with your boyfriend here in a game of pool"

Damon snorts, "And by wiping the floor you mean losing embarrassingly, then I agree."

Before Bonnie could laugh, Damon turns to her, expression pensive, "What are you doing here? I thought you had that paper you needed to get started on"

"I did, I just," she shakes her head, suddenly overwhelmed with anxiety again. "-couldn't concentrate"

He offers a sympathetic smile. "Yeah, I heard you were falling behind in your classes. You need any help? I'm an excellent tutor" he offers, wiggling his brows suggestively. Clearly, no longer talking about school work.

She was just about to comment on this when she remembered his words, frowning she demands to know, "Who told you I was behind in my classes?"

He looks at her, his pretty mouth parting open.

"I did" Elena pipes up, almost hesitantly, "Sorry, I didn't think it was a big deal." a wince playing along the lines of her features.

Bonnie's speechless to this. She didn't think it was a big deal. She didn't think that telling her best friend's boyfriend her business, something Bonnie should be telling him herself wasn't a big deal? Well, if this isn't typical Elena Gilbert.

"Elena do you mind giving us some privacy? I need to talk to my boyfriend alone" she says, emphasis on my boyfriend.

Elena's expression looks wounded for a second before she quickly covers it up with that sunny smile of hers. "Yeah, sure. See you guys later" she says, tossing a parting nod their way before heading upstairs.

"Well, that wasn't rude" Damon says when it's just the two of them.

Bonnie features screw up into a frown. "I'm sorry, are you complaining that I want to be with you without the presence of friends hanging around"

"No, I just.." He pauses, placing the pool stick on the table. He turns to her, folding his arms as he parks his rear against the edge of the table. "-the way you just dismissed her, she wasn't being malicious when she told me about the calculus thing. You know that, right?"

"That's not what this is about" she argues, shaking her head while advancing towards him.

He gives her a look, like he's going to argue a point but then changes his mind. Instead, he sighs. When she's just a foot away he pulls her to him, his strong arms wrap around her trim waist. Leaning down, he kisses her then says, "What's up? You don't seem like yourself today" the words are whispered against her mouth.

Bonnie pulls away just fractionally, just enough to revel in the gorgeousness of his cerulean eyes. "Nothing, just parental issues." she reaches up to stroke his face, "Help me take my mind off it, will ya?"

The words are clear. He chuckles, a throaty sound that warms her soul.

"Oh, I think I can do that" he promises before leaning in and kissing her on the lips.

* * *

Bonnie's still in the haze of post coital bliss when the town druggie decides to ruin her high.

"Bennett. Fancy seeing you here." comes the annoying greeting from behind.

Bonnie turns on her size six feet to face the ever so repulsive Malachai Parker.

She only came upstairs to grab a bottle of water, she'd worked up quite the sweat and desperately needed to replenish but now looking into Kai Parker's taunting face, she's starting to regret the decision.

"Kai" his name leaves her lips bitterly. Folding one arm over the other, she reminds him, "We've known each other since elementary. Half the time I didn't even hate you. You can call me Bonnie" and there she goes practicing that Miss America smile of hers.

He goes on as if she hadn't even spoken, "So _Bennett,_ what are you doing here? I thought you'd be somewhere off practicing your jazz fingers" He nudges her out of the way so he too could grab a bottle of water from the cooler. No excuse me of anything, just ring covered fingers pressing into her bare flesh as he moves her out the way. But what did she expect from a drug dealing degenerate anyway?

"That's dance you idiot, and do I really need a reason to be here? It's a party and the weekend.." she says in a enough-said sort of way.

Having grabbed one of the pricier bottle of waters, he unbends himself, bringing those slate grey orbs to her. It's an effort to look at him dead on, his gaze is always so penetrating, she almost feels exposed whenever their eyes latch, "Yeah, but you never show up to parties.." he comments, tilting his head slightly to the right as if trying to figure something out.

"What, have you been stalking me? How do you even know that?" her eyes, now zeroing in on him suspiciously.

"Yeah, that's what I do." He voices with a casual lilt. "I wait around at lame parties for the most uptight girl in the school to show up and stalk"

She doesn't know why she feels like she's been slapped. Kai is always throwing barbs her way. She's not sure why this particular insult has her smarting. So what he called her uptight? Why does that bother her so much? "Why are you here if the party is so lame?" she grounds out. Ignoring the stares she's sure they're getting. The homecoming queen and the king of goths interacting. Two social circles that should never collide. Hell might as well be freezing over. "Don't you have degenerate friends to plot robbing a convenience store with?"

"No, that's Thursdays. Fridays is for networking. It's how I get my clientele up. And it must be working because I have the most popular girl in school hounding me for crack"

"Lower your voice, you asshole" she seethes, pushing him against the table, causing it's contents to rattle in retaliation.

Apparently, her aggression pleases him because a smile slithers over his repulsive lips, "Why? Don't want anyone thinking you aren't as perfect as you'd like everyone to believe?"

Her nostrils flare as the next words tumble out of her mouth, "What is your issue with me?" she sneers, " Why do you hate me so much?"

The smile curling his lips unfurls, blue-grey orbs suddenly become serious, "I don't hate you, per se, just the idea you. This image you put out to the world, everything you stand for.. the perfect daughter, all star student, promising athlete, if you consider waiving around pom poms athletic that is, unbelievably popular, the poster child for everything right.." each word is clipped out with utter derision.

"You're jealous?" she suddenly realizes.

His expression clears of ridicule and is back to crudely amused, "Of you? What kind of shit are you on, _cheerleader_? Oh wait, I already know the answer..I probably shouldn't say this considering the field im in and it being bad for business and all but _crack is whack_ "

She storms at him, "I'm not on crack you-" she lashes out, ready to lay hands on him again but remembers herself. She's not the girl who makes a spectacle of herself by fighting with low lives at parties. She's the girl who laughs and jokes with her friends at the druggies and low lives who fight at parties.

"You what? What big words does the cheerleader have bouncing around that empty head of hers..go on insult me, I'd love to see you try" he says when he notices the moment she comes to her senses, sensing he's losing the upper hand, he tries to rile her up again.

"Well, that's nice." her voice lowering so only he could hear how crude the words are, "the kid with the lowest GPA in our class making jokes about someone's lack of intellect. If that isn't the definition of irony I don't know what is. You do know what irony is, don't you? Don't answer that, I wouldn't want you using the last bit of brain cells you have left."

"Well, look who's stalking who now.."

"Please, don't flatter yourself. It's common knowledge you're in danger of not graduating."

"Aww," he places a hand over his heart. "-you almost sound sympathetic there" using that same hand, he brings it up to her face, uses the tips of his fingers to softly caress her cheek. She slaps his disgusting paws away.

"Puhleaze, I wouldn't bat a lash if you ended up pumping gas for the rest of your miserable existence, you Malachai Parker mean nothing to me and that's facts"

"Did you find him?" he asks, his tone and expression suddenly serious.

"What?" she blurts, stunned by the abrupt change of subject. Also what the hell is he talking about?

She stares into his blank face, it's devoid of humor, of any emotion.. "Damon, your boyfriend." he clues her in. "He is still your boyfriend, right? I couldn't tell by the way he was pawing at Elena earlier. Unless," he pauses to examine her face, "You're into the whole polyamory thing.. not really my jam but I hear it's all the rage these days."

Her mouth plops open. It seems to bring him joy, the act. His eyes light up like a Christmas tree.

"Oh shit. You didn't know." he comments, faux concern entering his voice. "Yeah, It's their usual song and dance. Pretend like they didn't show up together. Flirt for an hour. Find a pool table, where he innocently gets behind her to show her the perfect position for optimal performance, of course. Disappear inside some abandoned room..only to reappear thirty minutes later looking hella sated." he pushes out his lips in a pitying gesture, stepping forward to crowd her space, he leans down to say in her ear. To everyone else it would appear that he's confiding in her, but they both know what's to come. He's moving in for the kill.

"It's a shame, all those friends of yours and not one of them loyal enough to tell you the truth. It's almost as if they couldn't care less about you. Almost as if you're just as pathetic and friendless as I am."

He pulls away, he doesn't smirk like she expected him to do. No, his expression is clear of humor. His cold eyes blink at her.

"Pick your jaw off the floor." he tells her. "Haven't you heard how disgusting these things are" he nods, gesturing down towards the ground.

But Bonnie doesn't hear it, her mind still stuck on the fact that her boyfriend of two years, the love of her life, the boy she'd given her virginity to was cheating on her with her best friend of thirteen years.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the love you guys on the last chapter. Here's chapter 2, EnJoy!

**The Cheerleader and the Punk**

"Hey, you made it back. Ready for round two?" is the first words from Damon's mouth once she enters the basement again.

His smile wilts and dies. He must notice the look on her face, how now she's sure her face is beyond shattered and no longer colored in bliss like it had been when she excused herself not even ten minutes ago because within seconds he's in front of her, "Hey, what's wrong?" he probes, his voice is gentle, his large hands soft as he cradles her face, handles her with care, the soothing gesture of the pad of his thumb, tender, caressing against her skin.

He tries to get her to meet his eyes, tipping her chin up a bit. She manages to escape those cerulean orbs. "Bon Bon, look at me" is said in an urgent manner however it doesn't diminish the silk in his tone.

She finally does, betrayed greens searching desperate blues, "Is it true?"

She watches as his perfect brows knit on his forehead, his expression growing more perplexed, "Is what true?" he asks her, shaking his head.

It takes her a moment to respond. She can't believe this is a conversation she's about to have right now. Seconds from confronting her boyfriend of two years for messing around with her best friend of thirteen. She cannot. "Elena" she says simply, trying to hold it together when all she wants to do is cry right now. The other girl's name should clue him in right away of what she's asking him.

"Elena?" he continues on, cluelessly. "You're going to have to give me more than that, baby" he continues, one side of his mouth turning up, like he's faintly amused by it all.

"Are you fucking her?" she spits, the words are coated in ice.

That sobers him up quickly. The chill in her stare has his smile quickly dissolving. "What? What are you talking about? Who told you that?" a line appearing between his brows.

"Does it matter?" she questions, done with his whole oblivious act. Seriously, he deserves an Oscar for his performance. Leonardo DiCaprio had nothing on Damon Salvatore. "Just answer the question. Are you fucking her?"

"No. of course not," he chokes out, like she's the one who's made offenses. "I would never do that to you. Where is this coming from?" he grabs her hand in an attempt to connect with her, "Bon Bon?"

She snatches it away, "Don't touch me."

He gapes at her. That's one thing she's never done, denied his touch. Come to think of it, she's never denied him of anything before. The realization that she's seriously livid must've set in because his tone becomes desperate, "I'm not messing around on you let alone with your best friend. How could you think I was even capable of something like that? I love you." and when she tries to turn away, he pitches forward, grabbing hold of her face. She hates that she lets him. "Look at me." comes the demand. It said with such passion she has no choice but to. "Bonnie Bennett you are everything. I don't see anyone else. Just you. You hear me?"

The words sound sincere. Could he be telling the truth?

"He said-" she begins, but he's quick to cut her off.

"Who said?" he implores, crowding her space even more, if that was at all possible.

"Kai." she confesses, "He said you and Elena show up together at parties. That you flirt and disappear inside of rooms together.." she wants the words to be fierce, demands them to be, but they lack proper conviction.

He takes advantage of her moment of doubt, "Kai Parker?" he scoffs, his eyes doing that wonky thing that drives her crazy. "The guy who's hated me since elementary said this?"

Her mouth plops open but no words spill out. "And you believe him? You believe a drug head loser over your boyfriend who cares and loves you and would never do anything to hurt you?" He looks hurt. Shattered. And inside she feels a niggle of guilt. Was she insane for taking anything Malachai Parker said at face value? This is Damon. _Damon._

The question sounds dumb leaving her lips, but she asks anyway, "I don't see him lying about this." Kai was cruel but he wasn't _that_ cruel. "What would he get out of it?"

"Other than wanting to piss me off? To accomplish what he's wanted forever.."

And when she looks at him dumbly. "To break us up." he clues her in as if saying _duh_.

He continues on, resentment heavy in his tone. "Because he's obsessed with you... And he hates me and would do anything to tear us apart" Bonnie doesn't hear beyond _he's obsessed with you._

"Obsessed?" she nearly chokes on her laughter. "He hates me." she spits out, slowly, like he's a brain dead simpleton. "Loathes me." is added on even slower. "He feels for me what I feel for him except a gazillion times worse" Seriously, Kai's hatred for her couldn't even be articulated into proper words that would do the feeling justice.

He smiles at her like she's the simpleton now. "Bonnie, you have to see the way he watches you."

Watches her? She's tempted to ask him how many drinks he's had because he was seriously speaking absolute nonsense.

"Watches me how? With utter contempt? Complete loathing..?"

His eyes widen. "Wow, I can't believe you're so naive"

"Naive?" she jerks back as if he's slapped her.

He winces at his word choice, "I just mean, I can't believe you don't see it. Kai Parker, he wants you. All for himself. And he'll do anything to get that including lie through his miserable meth rotten teeth" Damon's eyes soften, despite his words, turning pleading as he cooes, "You can't let him come between us, It's what he wants."

"You two were playing pool when I came down." she brings up. The two of them laughing, the pure joy on their faces, completely wrapped up in each other's presence, the way a couple did when they were new and in love and absolutely no one else mattered in the world but the other person enters her mind. He doesn't even laugh like that with her.. Even in their honeymoon stage he hadn't displayed such content. She feels gutted but she continues on, "Just the two of you. Alone. Do you know how suspicious that looks?"

"You know what? I wasn't thinking what the optics would be, Bonnie. I just knew I wanted to play and all the other tables were taken"

"He told me you two disappear into rooms together all the time"

"To _talk!_ " he says, emphatically. And then after a tense moment of the two of them staring at each other. "Elena's dating Stefan." he finally confesses. Her eyes widen at that. "Have for a while and they've been going through some things lately. I was just being a shoulder to lean on." he explains, tiredly, scrubbing a hand down his face, "She is my friend too, you know?"

It's true, Elena and Damon were friends before Bonnie and he had been.

Suddenly, this was all too much. She didn't know what to believe, her brain was telling her everything he was saying was logical but her gut..

She turns to leave. She couldn't be in the same room with him right now. He confused her. He was dangerous like that, one look into his beautiful face and depthless oceanic eyes and she was putty in his hands. For him to mold and toy with to his hearts content. She wanted to believe the boy with the face of an angel wouldn't lie to her, but thoughts sprang to her mom, how innocent she could appear all the while telling her dad a bold face lie. Right now what she needed was to get away, needed time to clear her head.

"Where are you going?" he intones, clearly not done with the conversation.

Tough, because she was.

"Home" she replies, not turning around.

She can hear his approaching footsteps behind her. "Do you want me to get Elena?" he asks her, for the first time tonight sounding as if he might actually lose her. "She'll tell you everything I just told you." And when she doesn't stop, just continues to make her way up the stairs. "Bonnie, I'm not lying to you. You have to believe me!"

"I just..I need time..okay?"

She finally glances back in time to watch his nose flare before reluctantly nodding.

* * *

"The fuck did you tell Bonnie, you little fucker"

Kai's in Tyler's backyard smoking a square when an angry Damon Salvatore approaches him, storms at him is more appropriate. The other guy looks like he's set on murder. Kai could only gander why.

In no hurry to answer the douche, he takes a long drag from the menthol flavored cigarette before releasing its toxins into the air, "What?" he says, amused eyes flicking up to number two. "About you boinking her best friend behind her back? We attend Gossip high, figured it was common knowledge." he gives him a shrug, one that says oop-sey doop-sey.

"No, what you figured is you would spew some bullshit lie about Elena and I hooking up so that you could swoop in and claim Bonnie for yourself. You don't fool me. I know you're obsessed with her. I see the way you watch her. I know you probably jerk off at night wishing it was her that was touching you." He rails, naked fury in his gaze. "You can dream all you want buddy but the reality is you will never have Bonnie, no matter how many plots and schemes you pull out of your ass. She will never want you"

"Aw, Damon. You really shouldn't have said that. You know how much I like a challenge" Kai taunts, tossing the cigarette in one of the potted plants, not even bothering to stub it. Hell, he hopes it catches fire. It would be justice for the way the founding families have treated his family over these years.

"Stay away from Bonnie" Damon snarls, inching in, his gait lioness, like he's two seconds from attacking. Except, he won't.

"I don't know," Kai contemplates, sucking his teeth. "Bonnie is just so tempting. Pretty face, rocking little bod, and then there's that _mouth_ "

"Keep talking." Damon warns.

"What are you going to do, huh?" he genuinely wants to know. "You gonna get your pack of rabid dogs.. oh, my bad, your "crew" to jump me? Or are we throwing it back to junior high and running to your older brother Stefan to get him to fight your battles?" Damon is expelling fire by now. Always so easily ruffled. That's what propels him to continue on with his provocation. Aside from getting his rocks off at goading Bonnie when the opportunity presented itself, his other favorite pastime is getting Damon riled up. Childish of him, he knows, for fueling on this ten year old rivalry that should have ended years ago but what can he say, old habits die hard. "You're weak. You're nothing without your posse to back you up. You wear the big man on campus mask so well but deep down you're just a scared little boy. It's only a matter of time before everyone finds out. Before Bonnie sees you for the coward you are and decides to jump ship...and judging by the look on her face just now, she probably already has."

"Bonnie will never leave me. Not for good anyway. She's mad right now, sure. But she'll get over. She always comes back"

Always come back. Well isn't he confident?

"We'll see"

"She will." Damon assures, a dark look passing over his features and then lifting a finger, he jabs it into Kai's chest, "And if she doesn't," an angry smile produces over his lips, "-that won't bode well for you"

"Since we're issuing out threats, I have one of my own." Kai tells him, tone completely mirthless, "Get your hands off of me before I break every bone in your weaselly little body"

Before Damon could respond. Number three, shows up breaking the tense moment. Damon's hand falls to his side when confused brown eyes dart between the both of them and the obvious charged moment she interrupted. When she speaks, the question's for Damon.

"Hey, I heard Bonnie was here." Elena says. "Why'd she leave?"

It's Kai who responds, allowing a cheery smile to curve his mouth. "Oh, no reason." he answers, "I may have informed your best friend of how you're fucking her boyfriend behind her back." Her mouth falls open and his grin widens. "How's the punch? I hear it's to die for"

* * *

Bonnie's halfway home when her phone goes off for the fourth time since she entered her car. She glances at it, Elena's unassuming face flashes across the screen. She's not going to lie, she was expecting Damon again. She guessed he finally tracked down Elena and filled her in on everything. Bonnie sends the call to voicemail. Hopefully, the other girl would get the hint. If not, blocking was always an option.

It doesn't come to that though because the brunette doesn't try to reach out again. She doesn't know if she should feel hurt by that or not.

When she gets home she finds her mom's car absent from the driveway. Rushing inside, she finds her dad having a drink in the kitchen. He's seated at the breakfast nook looking miserable. She eyes the bottle of brandy before shooting panic filled eyes towards him. He only drank when..

"Where's mom?"

He swallows the last bit of alcohol in his glass. "She left"

"She left? Like for good?" Bonnie heart squeezes in her chest.

"I don't know, Bonnie...she didn't exactly say" Her dad responds, sounding completely annoyed with her and then as if he remembers what time it is, he asks, tone reprimanding. "It's past midnight. Where were you?"

At a rager at Tyler's, finding out my boyfriend has been sleeping with my best friend. Well, if she was to take the word of the towns degenerate..

"I had a late study session with Caroline." she lies easily, having learned from the best she thinks, thoughts falling back to her mom. "She's failing pre-cal. She really needed my help. I couldn't leave her hanging"

"Next time can you give one of us a heads up before you just up and leave?"

Before or after you guys start to throw insults at each other she wants to say. And the nerve, neither one of them decided to give her a _heads up_ before leaving. Prime example, her mom taking off just now. A text would have been nice.

"Don't worry," he says, as if reading her mind. "She's probably at the boarding house"

Or Mikaelsons condo..

"How was your game?" He changes the subject.

"We won," she tries to answer brightly but just sounds tired.

"Of course they did. Damon play?"

"You know it"

"How many touchdowns did he score tonight?"

"I lost count"

"I bet. That kid's going to be a star" he brags as if Damon is his own son, lips half moons for the first time tonight. He never talks about her like that. Like he's proud of her. Not even when she made cheer captain did he gush about her like a proud father should. And here she was sounding jealous of her own boyfriend..ex-boyfriend. Ugh.

Her dad sobers up quickly, his tone serious when he speaks again. "Have you kids thought about what you're going to do next year?"

"I don't know dad" Bonnie doesn't even know what she was going to do tomorrow yet alone a year from now.

"Well, don't you think it's something you need to start thinking about?" his tone is sharp. He's in parental mode now.

Bonnie gives him something to get him off her back.

"Damon, he'll probably attend Duke," Her dad's all aware of how it's Damon's number one pick to play college ball at. "They've been eyeing him but haven't offered him a full ride yet. We'll know by playoffs."

"They'll be a fool not to" he comments, always a passenger on the Salvatore express.

They would. Damon's the most sought after high school athlete in the country.

"And I've applied to several schools. Brown, NYU, Howard, Spelman and a bunch of other universities but those are my top picks. I haven't heard back yet but it's still early of course"

"And Duke? Have you applied there?"

Bonnie swallows the lump forming in her throat. Her dad hasn't exactly been subtle about wanting her and Damon to continue their relationship beyond high school. He thinks she's hit the jackpot for the both of them. "Not yet"

He purses his lips like he wants to say something but lets it go.

She takes it as her cue to leave, her pillow was just calling for her to seep her tears into it. "I'm going to bed. Get some rest dad" she tells him, tone softening.

Mentally, she shakes her head knowing he'll be up all night worrying about mom, she just hope she doesn't do the same about Damon.

* * *

Kai's not shocked to find a fuming Josette in his face when he gets home.

"You asshole. You'd said you would be right back. You knew I had plans on hitting up Tyler's party. Leaving me to babysit on your day Kai, that's really shitty"

No, what was shitty was, a grown ass man relying on his children to basically raise his other children as he drank his evenings away at bars.

Kai rolls his eyes, but it's half hearted. Stepping over discarded beer cans, he relays, "Jo stop being so dramatic. Trust me, you didn't miss a thing. The party sucked ass per usual. You should be thanking me for saving you from such mind-numbing lameness." The only upside from the experience, he scored some new customers.

Jo follows him into the kitchen. "I heard you got into it with Bonnie Bennett. I heard she threw you up against a wall" she ends with a chuckle.

Drink station. She threw him up against a drink station. He wants to correct her on this but thinks it will only make him look even more pathetic.

Opening the fridge, he probes, "And pray tell how did you find that out? One of Bonnie's wanna be minions?"

Kai scans the empty fridge. Just some expired milk and left overs that should have been tossed months ago. He's not sure why he even opens it anymore; it never has food in it. Which is a shame considering the five hundred dollars worth of food stamps his dad gets monthly from the government. Instead of feeding his family, Joshua sells them for half of its worth to support his gambling and drinking habit. He would have to go grocery shopping tomorrow. Dipping into his savings isn't anything he liked to do but he had a little brother and sister to look out for, they deserved more than top ramen and spaghettiO's to eat.

"No, Jenna."

"So one of Bonnie's wanna be minions.." he reiterates with a head nod, closing the fridge, turning around to face his twin.

"Shut up, Jenna is not a minion. She's just really passionate about the six."

 _The six_. Kai wanted to gag. It was a stupid nickname created for the most popular kids in school. Caroline Forbes, Tyler Lockwood, Elena Gilbert, Matt Donovan, Damon Salvatore and last but not least Bonnie Bennett. He could strangle whoever coined the phrase. He detested it so much he re-nicked-named them _the insufferables_. Bonnie being insufferable number one, Damon, number two and so on..

"Obsessed is more like it." he corrects, grabbing a bottle of water out of the pantry. "Pretty sure she runs that shitty gossip app everyone at school is clucking about"

"She does not run _Chatter._ Trust me, I would know." comes from behind.

Kai rolls his eyes, twisting off the cap of his water and taking a swig. Why was he even still talking to his twin about this brainless shit?

"Why'd she do it?"

"What?" Kai asks, turning around and taking a seat at the dining table.

She stops at the chair directly across from him but doesn't take a seat. "Rough you up. That doesn't sound like the Bonnie Bennett I know"

Kai smiles a humorless smile. "Well, miss prissy isn't as well mannered as you'd like to believe. And to answer your question, she didn't like my particular brand of humor"

"I don't think anyone likes your particular brand of humor, Kai" to this, Kai shrugs.

"What did you say that got her so heated that she-"

"-broke character? I said a lot of things." One in which insinuated she did crack on the regular. "Who's to say which insult set her off the most"

"What is up with you two?" Jo questions, her light blue eyes narrowing on him, like she's trying to work out the answer. "You sure you guys aren't into each other?"

Kai stomach rolls. "Wow, Jo. I think that might be the most hurtful thing you've ever said to me." he accuses, disgust lacing his tone.

"I'm just saying, she _loathes_ you Kai, and Bonnie Bennett doesn't loathe anyone"

"But apparently me" And possibly Damon now. Hopefully. Prayerfully.

She ignores him, "And she riles you up too. No one riles you up, Kai. So why does Bonnie Bennett?"

Where to begin..

"Is this about-"

"If you finish that sentence i'm going to kill you." he threatens her. "And not hypothetically kill. Like I'm going to literally blungen you with this meat cleaver starting with your spleen and then dump your remains in the backyard for the coyotes to find. So unless you don't mind that twisted fate, I suggest you zip it"

"God, you're in a shitty mood today" she comments, huffily.

"As opposed to yesterday when I was shitting sunshines and rainbows?"

"Good point"

"You can take off, I'll watch the brats for the rest of the night"

"Oh please, don't act like you're doing me any favors. The hard part is done, their sleep now."

"Well, if one of the wonder twins decides to wake up, I'll be here for them to annoy to death. Now get. I know the reason you really want to get out is to see Matt" he urges, "We don't wanna leave him waiting"

Her mouth falls open. He thinks he can see her tonsils. "What? Think I didn't know you two were sneaking around?" Her mouth snaps shut however she doesn't offer a response.

"What's with all the secrecy anyway? This his idea?"

Because despite Matt being the only loser out of the insufferables that he could tolerate. His non hatred for the football star alone wouldn't stop him from murdering the bastard if he decided he was ashamed to be seen dating his twin.

Jo wasn't particularly unpopular, she was pretty enough that most people knew who she was but not rich enough to hang with the cool kids. Having a janitor for a father and deadbeat mom who skipped town years ago didn't exactly help them win any kind of popularity contest. Not that he wanted to or anything.

"No" she's quick to ensure, "We're just taking it slow."

He nods, despite still being unconvinced. "Yeah, I'd believe you if it weren't for this nagging thing called twin telepathy" he tells her. "Spill it. If you don't, I'll be forced to believe Donovan is keeping you hidden away for nefarious reasons, and I might decide to do something about it, like rearrange his face" he gives her an off putting smile.

She finally caves, taking a seat in the chair across from him. It makes such an unpleasant screechy sound that he wonders if it woke the twins. "It's Caroline, she's a nightmare. Every girl he moves on with, she terrorizes."

Kai isn't expecting this explanation. "This is about the brain dead blonde?" he wonders aloud, his brows managing to kiss his hairline. "So you've subjected yourself to having clandestine meetings in the dead of night because you're afraid of how Caroline Forbes, your boyfriend's ex, might take it?"

She cringes and he chides, "See how that sounds aloud?"

Jo sighs, playing with the salt and pepper shakers in attempts to avoid his judging gaze. "I just don't want that type of target painted on my back" and when the silence goes on too long, she looks up at his face. He's sure his expression displays how much he questions her sanity. "You don't know what she's done to the other girls he's dared to date"

Kai grits his teeth. "Half of what I'll do to her if she decides to even glance your way"

"I know you're just being a good brother but stop it. Do not interfere Kai. Promise me."

And when he says nothing. "Promise me"

"OK, I'll stay out of it" _For now,_ he thinks but doesn't say.

"Thank you" she verbalizes, relief coloring her features. She gets up, "Going out with Matt, don't wait up."

Yeah, not happening.

* * *

"Elena's looking for you" Caroline informs Bonnie on Monday morning, strolling up beside her in the hall as she makes her way to her second period class.

"I'm sure she is" Bonnie comments sarcastically. Elena has her schedule memorized better than her own. If she wanted to find her, she would have found her. Or called her, or texted, she's good at texting.

"She told me what you accused Damon of, of her of.."

"Really? Did she tell you the part where it's true?" she steals a look at her best friend and as of two days ago, her only best friend.

The blonde levels a sharp look at her. "Why? Because some loser druggie said it was?"

Bonnie found herself throwing smiles and quick little waves to her peers as she passed them in the hallway, it was why she was adored more than her friends. She took the time to acknowledge that there were other people aside from her clique that also walked the halls whereas her friends, mainly Caroline, tended to just look down upon them. "It makes sense, It's been feeling off for a while now, our relationship"

Caroline frowns, confused. "Who? You and Elena's or you and Damon's?"

"That's just it, both"

"Do you know how crazy this sounds? Elena would never do that to you, Bonnie. We're sisters."

Bonnie laughs at this. "Really, is that why you dated Matt when Elena was done with him?"

Caroline jerks back, like she's been slapped. "Wow, I'm going to let that go because you're my _sister_ and I realize you're in the dumps right now. But just know if you were any other bitch-"

Bonnie waives her hand in a dismissive gesture, quickening her steps so they are no longer walking side by side. "Whatever, Caroline"

Caroline quickly catches back up to her. "Hey, get it together. What we're not going to do is let a future convict break up thirteen years of friendship"

"Is that all?" she responds boredly, relaying to the other girl their conversation is over. The blonde doesn't take the hint or maybe she does and doesn't care. "No, we're going off campus for lunch. I was thinking the grill. Meet me in parking lot after fourth"

"Yeah, ok."

She finds Caroline's eyes studying her face, "Remember what I said, thirteen years. _Sisters"_

All Bonnie could do was nod, her mouth wouldn't allow her to form the word on her tongue.

* * *

"You're nearly failing half your classes. You are aware of that right, Mr. Parker?"

Kai's been pulled out of fourth period by the principal. He figured this little summoning would be about his hair color again, only to be surprised to find out this was about his _grades_ instead _._ His eyes widen."Only half? Wow. I'm doing better than I thought."

Principal Saltzman asks in strained tones. "Is this a joke? Is the possibility of not graduating amusing to you, Mr. Parker?" No, but your attempt at facial hair is, he wants to say. It takes all of his will power not to.

"No, I just thought I'd lighten the mood. You always seem so stressed. It concerns me. Is it the divorce?" He pours concern into his tone. "It's the divorce, isn't it? I hear she wants half." he winces, shaking his head. "I'm no lawyer or anything but half for only two years of marriage. That's highway robbery"

"What _I'm_ concerned about-" Saltzman interjects, "-is one of my students not graduating because he didn't apply himself enough" His gaze breaks away from Saltzman, dreading the lecture that's to come. Kai's sudden disinterest doesn't deter the older man from plowing on, "You and I both know you're more than capable of doing the work. You just refuse to. Why is that? Why even bother to come to school if you weren't going to even try?"

Kai flicks his eyes up, holding the graying man's stare. "Look, it's either come to school or watch the rugrats all day." And his dad would just love that. It meant he wouldn't have to shell out on daycare. Which meant, you guessed it, more money to spend on booze. "I chose the least miserable option"

For a full minute, Principal Saltzman is completely speechless. When he finally recovers, he inquires, his tone a lot more sympathetic than it had been a minute ago, "Is there something going on in your home life that I should know about?"

Kai shrugs. "Other than living on the wrong side of the tracks in a trailer with more kids than rooms, not really" And then when the principal started to look at him with even more pity, "Look, we have a roof over our heads, that's more than some, so I'd say i'm doing just fine."

The principal sighs. "Look Malachai, I want to see you graduate and the same goes for your teachers. The best way to get out of your situation" he's good not to say poverty. "-is to get a good education and the first step at getting a good education is to graduate highschool. It's not too late to apply for colleges either, the application deadline for most universities is on the fifteenth of Jan-"

"College" he interrupts with a snort. "I'll be lucky if I get out of this hell-" he catches himself, "..lovely academic establishment. Let alone get accepted into college."

"You can do anything you want Mr. Parker. The skies the limit"

Blah Blah Blah. Kai was halfway expecting for him to start crooning 'I believe I can fly' any moment.

And before things could get even more after school special-ish "Great talk. Look, I gotta head to lunch, I'd hate to miss out on today's mystery meat." he voices, gesturing behind him towards the door. Standing up, he continues, "And I doubt you'd want this growing boy to not get his proper nutrients-"

"Mr. Parker," Saltzman cuts it, "The dismissal bell has yet to ring. Sit down."

And when he does, although begrudgingly, "I've assigned you a tutor," he informs Kai, handing him a stack of stapled papers, "She's a very bright student. A member of the honor society" he goes to drone on but Kai can't hear it because his eyes are stuck on the words on the paper, or name rather. The student assigned as his tutor. Number four of the insufferables.

"Caroline Forbes? My tutor is Caroline Forbes?" he blurts, unable to control the repulsion in his tone.

"Yes," Saltzman starts to beam like a proud father. "I assure you Miss Forbes is quite the exceptional student. She-"

"Yeah, no" he interrupts the old man. "I can't be tutored by Caroline Forbes."

"And why is that?" this is the first time today Saltzman sounds truly irritated with him.

Because she's a vapid cheerleader. Because she thinks she's better than everyone. Because I hate her with every fiber of my being. Because because because..

"I just ..can't," he comes up with instead, the head shake resolute. He tries to plead with the older man, "Can't you assign me someone less annoying?"

Saltzman is full on glaring at this point. "Unless you can provide me with a valid reason why Miss Forbes is an unsuitable tutor for you, other than being _annoying_ , I'm afraid Mr. Parker that you're stuck with her.

Well, fuck. So he wasn't graduating, that was what it came down to because there was no way in the world he would ever allow Caroline Forbes to tutor him.

And with that thought the dismissal bell rang.

And then from the future divorcee, "Now you're excused"

* * *

The word had spread by lunch about Damon and Bonnie's break up. The caption on the school's gossip app: The King and Queen of MFH are DONZO! Really, _donzo_? What was this 2005? Bonnie doesn't think she's ever clicked so fast into a post in her life and that says something because nearly all the chats posted on the blog surrounded her and her friends. A large majority of them of Caroline and her super toxic relationship with her ex boyfriend Matt. How they were on and off so much one could get whiplash with their shenanigans, the girls he dated in between, the tantrums she threw because of it. If only today's post involved the two.

Because the reality was she hated when she and Damon got attention, even when they were drooling over their relationship, she detested it. Her eyes scan the words, bracing for any kind of slander, her heart sounding in her ears as she prepares for utter and complete humiliation..

_The King and Queen of MFH have called it quits. Wonder if it has anything to do with the steamy conversation Bonnie had with perpetual bad boy, Kai Parker that sealed Bamon's fate._

And then right below, a snapped photo of Kai whispering in Bonnie's ear. Bonnie recognized the moment right away. It was from Tyler's party last Friday. She studied the photo. The moment looked intimate, to anyone who hadn't lived it, like he's whispering all the naughty things he's going to do to her later when in actuality he was taunting her about her cheating boyfriend and rubbing in how none of her friends was loyal enough to tell her what was going on.

Bonnie could feel her blood boil, she could see where the narrative was headed. And what she feared, more photos of a piping mad Damon confronting Kai outside in Tyler's backyard. She hadn't stuck around to witness the aftermath, but apparently Damon got in Kai's face about what he said to Bonnie earlier about him and Elena. She's not surprised, Damon has always been a hothead. Usually, she was the one to calm him down, in this case she didn't care. Kai deserved it for all the shit he started. She continued to scroll down. Of course there were no photos of Bonnie nearly assaulting Kai. No, because that wouldn't fit the narrative they wanted to portray. That the Queen B has left her football star boyfriend for the towns degenerate. Bonnie was seeing red, so angry she nearly crushed her phone into infinite pieces. Everyone in school would think she cheated on her boyfriend with Kai. _KAI!_ She didnt know which was worse, this or the entire school finding out her boyfriend cheated on her with her best friend. No, this was worse. At least with the truth, she'd be seen as the victim, which she is! There was no sympathy with being the whore..the cheat. Bonnie let out a sigh, thinking how there had to be a way to fix this mess.

* * *

"Dude, why didn't you tell me?" accuses Jeremy the moment he plops down next to Kai at their usual lunch table outside.

"That yellow's a bad color on you?" he asks, uninterested. "Sorry, I didn't want to hurt your feelings."

"No, shit head. I'm talking about Bonnie Bennett. How the _fuck_ did you bag that?" Bag Bonnie Bennett? He couldn't be hearing this right.

"One, please don't ever say bag again. Two, what nonsense are you speaking, Gilbert?"

His friend seems genuinely disappointed. "So it isn't true?" Jeremy levels him with a questioning stare.

"Yeah, I'm going to need more from you"

"This" the other boy discloses, whipping out his phone and shoving it into Kai's face. Once Kai realizes what he's reading, a scowl covers his features. No wonder he'd gotten so many stares today. He's used to getting stared at. People weren't exactly open to anyone who decided to dress or look outside of the norm, and having no way to process this, they did the next best thing, they stared. But today he'd gotten more than he was comfortable with. Now everything made sense.

"Why do you have this shit on your phone?" he questions, throwing his friend a judgemental look, done reading today's gossip headline. Jeremy knew better to believe anything posted on that garbage app.

His friend doesn't take offense to his words nor does he answer the question, instead prompting one of his own, "So, just so we're clear, you're not dating the hottest girl in school?"

"No dickhead, and I'm sort of offended you would think I was stoop so low as to date such a vapid mindless twit"

"Hey, that mindless twit has a great ass"

"Yes and imagine what one would have to suffer through to reap the benefits of such an amazing ass" he could just hear the convos now. Does this nail polish look good on me? Does my butt look big in this outfit? Does 1+1=2?. A never ending sea of misery. Thank god for standards.

"Not worth it dude" he finishes.

"Lets agree to disagree"

"Well, there's a silver lining to the whole situation." Kai could argue not dating Bonnie Bennett _was_ the silver lining but decides not to, Jeremy would just go on and on in defense of number one and he really didn't have the time nor energy to argue.

"Which is I can date her now, if the rumors about her and Salvatore being done are to be believed" He looks to Kai for answers.

Jeremy wasn't a complete moron; he knows Kai's tied into the situation somehow.

Kai denied all involvings. "Don't look at me. Fuck if I know if she and meathead are still together." Their relationship status had no bearing on his life what-so-ever. Was it fun to taunt them both until they were seeing red? Yes. But at the end of the day, he couldn't careless about them, their relationship or how he supposedly factored into it. "I don't know why you bother lusting over her, she doesn't see you '' Bonnie has been best friends with his cousin for a decade, if she wanted Jeremy, Jeremy would have been had.

"See if that was the case, she wouldn't have winked at me the other day"

"Dude, she had something in her eye" Speaking of the devil, Bonnie Bennett steps out from the cafeteria doors and into the outside patio area, set on a path towards an empty table, carrying a tray of actual food unlike her minions..wait, neither of her minions are by her side. He figured Elena wouldn't be but the dumb blonde..

Solo today _, interesting,_ which he doesn't think he's ever seen her without her loyal band of followers before. Her demeanor isn't devastated, or even a tiny bit grief stricken like she just got cheated on by her boyfriend of two years. Instead, she is her usual peppy self, confidence in spades. Pretty, perfect, perky, cheerleader. Barf Barf Barf.

"So fucking hot" his friend says, interrupting his thoughts, lust dripping all over his words.

"She's alright" he shrugs in a 'meh' sort of way.

"I believe your hatred for her is affecting your ability to make judgements, name a girl in this school who's hotter?"

"There's plenty" he states but is unable to come up with any.

"And don't say Elena" his friend tacks on.

He's unable to stop the scowl from forming. "Gross. Why would I say Elena? Even more gross, why would you say Elena?"

"I said don't say Elena"

"The fact that you even brought her up is concerning"

"Dude, she's my cousin"

"Exactly"

"Stop deflecting. You just don't want to admit Bonnie is probably the hottest girl you'll ever come across in your life"

"And if by hot you mean annoying then I agree full heartedly"

Jeremy looks like he's about to say something else, most likely insult Kai's intelligence when they're interrupted, "Beavis, Butthead. What are you two idiots going on about?" queries Nora Hildegard, one third of their dysfunctional circle of misfits. She takes a seat across from them, her pale overly made face blocking his line of view of Bonnie. But what he does still see is literally tens of thirsty guys crowding her table. She literally just sat down. Guess news spreads fast.

Kai answers first, knowing Jeremy would so make this a thing. And he really didn't want to talk about Bonnie one bit. "Just a little disagreement, nothing worth repeating."

"So, guess what I heard?" Nora begins, popping open her soda can, a cat-like grin playing about her raven painted lips, the color is so stark compared to her ghostly skin tone that she looks like something out of a Korean horror film.

Kai decides to ignore her, he already knows what this was about.

"It's not true" Jeremy answers instead.

"I knew it!" Nora goes on, snickering, as if she hadn't low-key insulted him, "Bonnie and her hatred for you just won me fifty dollars" hatred for _each other,_ he wanted to make the distinction but doesn't correct her. What he does say is, his tone spiritless, "So you're betting _against_ me on whether I can score Bonnie or not, huh?"

"Yeah, Hildegard, that's cold" Jeremy scolds her, all the while sporting a delighted smirk. And then he adds, grin growing wider, "And i'll have your money by tomorrow"

"Really?" his tone dry, as he looks to the both of them.

"Hey, don't look at me. I had faith in you" Gilbert claims, eyes-widening.

"Faith in me." he repeats, blandly. "That would imply that you think Bonnie's some kind of prize, looks aside, she's nothing but a shallow waste of a human being, typical popular mean girl. She's literally so unoriginally generic she could be made in a factory." Seriously, the whole pretty popular cheerleader thing has been done to death.

"Oh whatever" Nora scoffs, "Spare me the whole she's an awful human being spiel, you know if you had a chance with her you'd get with that with the quickness"

"Do you really think that low of me? And this is a serious question that I need answered because I'm starting to truly question my friendship with you two." He really needed to stop referring to them as such. Neither one of them were his friends really, they both just started following him around one day, Jeremy six years ago, Nora more recently, the start of sophomore year, he just hadn't gotten annoyed enough with either of them to tell them to fuck off yet.

Nora rolls her eyes, "You are so full of shit."

"So I guess she and Salvatore are done, at least half the rumor was true then" Jeremy notes as he peers off at Bonnie and her multiple suitors four tables away. "No way they'd all be in her face like that if Salvatore was still in the picture."

"What are we, TMZ? Why are we discussing Bonnie Bennett's love life? People are literally dying in third world countries right now and this is what we choose to care about?"

"I wonder if she's into girls" Nora ponders aloud, pursing her tar colored lips, ignoring him and his plea to change the subject.

"Why don't you go find out." Jeremy urges, "I dare you"

"Fuck dare" he quickly amends, "Lets make it a bet. A hundred bucks says you won't go ask her out right now in front of everyone and get her to say yes" That was Jeremy, finding any and every way to blow his trust fund before he even got it.

"Oh, Jeremy." Nora beams, with faux sweetness. "I'm going to enjoy taking your money" And with that she gets up and makes her way towards the most popular girl in school.

* * *

"I'll take my payment through Venmo thank you very much" Jeremy gloats when Nora returns with a dejected scowl on her face.

"Rub it in, asshole. But I almost had her. I'm sure if it was just she and I and not all the other cock blockers around she would've bit"

"In your dreams'' Jeremy jeered, producing a half snort half laugh. Kai can't help but let out a chuckle of his own. Nora could never just lick her wounds, there were always a million excuses to come along with it.

"Whatever, it's not like either of you would have fared any better"

"You guys are beyond pathetic. It's sickening how you guys act as though she's so unattainable. She's just another stuck up cheerleader whose had too many guys tell her she was hot. Pretty sure with the right effort put forth anyone could "bag" her"

"Would you like to put your money where your mouth is?"

"What are you proposing, Gilbert?" he asks, boredly.

"Just a little bet" Jeremy presents, smirking at him annoyingly, "One hundred," and when he sees the look on Kai's face, "No, two hundred dollars says you can't get her digits"

"Lame. Who cares if he can get her number or not. Which he can't, if you're going to bet hundreds of dollars make it worth it, doofus" is said passionately from the raven-haired girl in front of him.

Jeremy rolls his eyes, "Fine, three hundred dol-"

"Nein"

"Four-"

"Nao"

" _Five hundred dollars"_ Jeremy proposes with great emphasis, "-says you can't get Bonnie Bennett to go out with you. And I don't just mean one date. I mean full on dating. Changing your relationship status on facebook, all that jazz"

Kai inwardly scoffs, like he has FaceBook.

Jeremy holds up a finger indicating he's not done. "I'll even give you until the new year to make it happen"

"No, give him 'til valentines day," Nora interrupts, her lips peeling into a smile, "How else are we going to get the IG kissy faces posts?"

It's quite the feat to not roll his eyes, he gives it to them an English this time,"No"

"Why not?" Nora grins, goading. "Imagine how fun it'll be, watching you of all people woo the most popular girl in school, her rejecting you mercilessly..Oh wait, that's just fun for us" the two knuckle heads burst into laughter.

Kai shoots her a look, sighing. "No" he repeats himself for what he feels like the hundredth time. Dismissing his friends in the calmest tone he could muster. Not because he cares not to offend them but because he doesn't want them to get any bright ideas, that their taunting is actually getting to him. His gaze dart between the two, "Now can we please change the subject?" Before I decide to off you both and catch a murder charge is not said.

"You're scared," Jeremy blurts with shocked laughter, "You know girls like Bonnie don't give a glance at guys like us. She's out of your league, it's why you won't even consider it."

"No one is out of my league"

"Loving the confidence" announces Jeremy. "But is it false? Prove it. Prove she's not out of your league. Prove you can bag the hottest girl in school" There goes that word again. He's heard it more than he was comfortable with in his lifetime.

"I don't need to prove a thing to you two dickwads. Now-" he begins, finally a genuine smile catching on his lips, "Who doesn't want their mystery meat?"

* * *

"Hey, what happened with you at lunch?" Caroline interrogates, coming up to her in the girls locker room after school as Bonnie changes into her practice gear. She knew this was coming all day. Hoped the blonde wouldn't mention her bailing on lunch but knew chances were highly unlikely of that happening. She knew Caroline like the back of her hand and the girl _did not_ do stand ups.

"Look, I knew Elena would be there," she confesses, and then unapologetically, "I didn't want to see her" Trapped in a car with just her, Caroline and her former best friend. Yeah, no.

"But you know you have to see her now, right?" It's true, unfortunately for her Elena was also on the cheerleading squad.

"Yeah, but there's sixteen other girls on the squad to distract me.."

"This is so ridiculous." Caroline pouts, looking like she was two seconds from stomping her feet like a petulant child "I cannot believe you believe some low life over your own friends and speaking of what _the heck_ is this I'm hearing about you two dating?"

Hands on her waist, Bonnie cocks her head to the side, giving her friend a blank-eyed stare, "Really, Care?"

"Oh, thank god." the blonde says in a rush of words, extremely relieved. "We need to fix this though. You need to make a PSA or something, letting everybody know it isn't true. It could ruin our brand if you don't clear it up right away" she says this all with a straight face.

"Our brand? Are you serious, Care? And by the way that's not the way PSA's work"

"Whatever, just make a statement or something. We can't have people thinking you're dating _Kai Parker_ " she spits his name out like it's coated in poison. Bonnie wants to laugh, how is it will she be making this statement? By loudspeaker after the morning announcements?

"No one with two brains cells thinks that I'm dating Kai Parker." She had an entire day to think this through. She was Bonnie Bennett, honor roll student, cheer captain, overall good girl. In what world would she date someone whose future consisted of rehab and prison cells?

Caroline takes a prolonged minute to think before responding with, "Yeah, you're right. It's the most outlandish thing ever" she agrees, finally coming to her senses.

"Right.." Bonnie replies, stretching the vowel.

"Ok, so..,back to Elena. You can't believe what Kai's saying.."

"Look, I don't know what I believe. I just know what my gut is telling me"

"So, that's just it? You're done with Damon? Elena? You're just going to kick them to the curb? The six is now _the four_ " she hurls at her like it's the most horrific thing in the world.

"Look, I don't care about any of that." she sighs, exhausted with arguing. "I just need my space" she finishes, walking away before Caroline could get another word in.

* * *

Elena approaches her after practice.

"Hey" comes the shy greeting, the other girl approaches her so meekly she almost feels like a bully for yelling at her at practice(Bonnie may have scolded the brunette for lagging on the beat a few too many times at practice as well as accused her of trying to break Tiki's neck as they practiced their pyramid formation, even Caroline, her co-captain, who was a drill sergeant if there was ever one told her it was overkill) but then visions of Damon and Elena getting it on in an array of different positions plays in her mind and her anger renews. She concentrates on not exhaling fire.

When she doesn't say anything, Elena speaks, eyes darting down at the pristine floor, the Timberwolves' wolf smirking up at them like he finds the situation between her and ex bestie particularly amusing.

"I tried calling you" says the other girl, bringing her eyes back to Bonnie.

"I know"

A flash of emotion crosses Elena's face. Bonnie's not sure if it's guilt or just plain hurt that has the other girl looking away, whatever the case, it takes Elena a few moments before she speaks again. Shifting nervously on her feet, she finally confesses, "Look, Damon told me what Kai said." Her voice, so small at that moment, Bonnie can barely hear her, especially with all the rowdy-ness of her squad exiting the gym. "He's a liar, Bonnie. I would never do that to you. You're my best friend."

Bonnie takes in a breath. The words sound genuine. She wants to believe her best friend wouldn't betray her like Kai insinuates she has. God, did she want to believe them. Plus, this is Elena. _Elena._ They were besties out of the womb. She'd be more inclined to believe Caroline would backstab her before Elena would. Unlike Care, they've been friends their whole lives. "You're more than that, you're my sister. You're the only person in the world that I can count on. Don't tell Caroline that." Elena says, the somber-ness in her tone starting to bleed out and now being replaced with amusement.

"It's true though," she continues on, "When my dad died you made sure you were over everyday to cheer me up. When Caroline couldn't be bothered you were there." She points out. Shaking her head, she relays, "I could never betray you like that. You're the only constant person in my life" Bonnie may have doubted her friend before but hearing Elena and the earnestness in her tone, the fact that she brought up her dad. Elena never talks about her dad and she would never use him as a way to weasel her way back into Bonnie's life. That's is all it takes to earn her trust again.

"Why didn't you tell me about Stefan?" She watches the melancholy melt from Elena's features because at that moment she realizes Bonnie must believe her if she's questioning her about Stefan.

"The age of consent in Virginia is eighteen." she educates Bonnie. "I didn't want to get him in trouble. The less people who knew the better"

"But you could talk to Damon about it." she points out, and she hears it, the suspicion creeping back into her tone. Elena must hear it too because she quickly cuts in, "I didn't tell him. He knew. They're brothers. Stefan told him. He knew Damon would never say anything"

And look how that turned out..

"And you thought that I would?" It hurt to know her friend didn't fully trust her. She would never keep this kind of thing from Elena.

"No, but what if you slipped and said something in front of Caroline. And Care, as much as I love her, can't hold water if her life depended on it." They both share a laugh despite the tense conversation being had and when the chuckles die, "I didn't want to take that chance"

Bonnie bit her lip, contemplating on how she should feel. "He could go to jail Bonnie" It's the whine that gets her. In that moment, Bonnie realizes just how much the other girl cares for Stefan. How she would do anything to protect him. She feels the same way about Damon.

"I get it" she finally says and it sounds like she's relinquishing something?

Her anger, she realizes. She was finally letting the resentment go.

Bonnie watches as a flash of hope flickers across Elena's face. "You do?"

She sighs then smiling a little, "Yeah"

Elena jumps her, "Thank god. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you what was going on" the other girl says, elated, wrapping her arms around Bonnie's neck.

She squeezes her tight and Bonnie chuckles. "It's okay" she tells her friend, squeezing her friend back just as hard. "I'm sorry I accused you of sleeping with my boyfriend"

Elena finally releases her, stares at her with warm brown eyes, "You're forgiven. Best friends?" Her bright smile could eclipse the sun.

"Best friends"

* * *

Kai couldn't get what Jeremy said out of his head, it nagged at him, even into the next day. He was still thinking about it well into his sixth period gym class. And since Kai didn't do gym, he sat in the bleachers and watched the rest of his class play dodgeball, allowing Jeremy words to play over and over in his head..

_You're scared because you know girls like Bonnie don't give a glance at guys like us, she's out of your league.._

Even if Jeremy's words were true, which they weren't, they still shouldn't have bothered him so much. Who cares what Jeremy thought? This was the same person who believed in UFO encounters and mediums and stupid shit like Big foot and the earth really being flat, so his opinion on matters, any matters, especially girls was null and void. Except, it did matter. The fact that Bonnie Bennett had convinced people she was unattainable to anyone outside of her bubble of vapid friends was astounding. Sure, she was hot in the traditional sense. Sure, she had a body teenage girls would die for. Sure, she was popular beyond imagination. Sure, every guy wanted her and every girl wanted to be her. Even with all of that into play, at the end of the day she was just another teenage girl, who got pimples and had insecurities and real life issues like everyone else.

If that's the case, why do you care? _You know why,_ his mind supplies. He stamps down on the memory before it has a chance to bloom.

Done changing out of his gym clothes, Kai is making his way out of the locker room when he hears a group of guys gossiping like girls.

"So, you and Bonnie official again?" It doesn't take a genius to know who this question is aimed at.

"As if she could stay away" comes the smarmy reply. But he doesn't expect anything less from the arrogant jock. Actually, he was surprised his response wasn't a lot more barbaric in nature.

Of course, the laughter comes, loud and uncivilized and completely irksome to him because what school would he be at if Damon's meathead friends weren't kissing ass?

He stops short at the next words uttered, "So you're just going to take her back after she fucked Parker?" one of his numskull friends voices.

Kai holds back, listening to what Damon's response will be.

"Mere gossip" Damon comments, trying to sound nonchalant about it all, but Kai is an observer, always has been. While others craved the spotlight, Kai was the very opposite, the type to sit back and watch, listen. He paid attention to things. It's how he picked up on the teeny bit of irritation that creeped into Salvatore's tone, his friends didn't notice. They never did.

"Why would she settle for chopped liver when she could dine on filet mignon? Besides, my name is stamped all over that pussy, she knows who daddy is" And there it was, that boorish behavior he was expecting earlier. Damon Salvatore manages to effectively not surprise him every single time.

There's another wave of hooting and hollering. Kai, fed up, makes himself known, stepping out from behind the row of lockers.

"I don't know Damon, your girlfriend can't seem to keep her hands to herself whenever I'm around. I don't think you have her trained as well as you'd like to believe." Suddenly the room goes quiet. You could hear a pin drop.

"Should have known you were creeping around. You haven't snapped any nudes of me have you? I would hate to end up in your spank bank."

As on cue, his buddies laugh. Kai continues on despite the fact. "Nah, not my type. I like em' brown skin, green-eyed and curvy" Kai's shocked to hear some snickers. Maybe they weren't all mindless sheep.

"You can like em' whatever way you want," Damon lets him know, his eyes chilled blue, "Just know that's all it'll ever be, _want_ "

"I don't know, Bonnie and I have had this tumultuous push and pull relationship for a while now, some would even call it sexual tension"

Damon laughs, not in a snarky way, but as if he is genuinely amused. "That's why pretty girls can't talk to guys like you, Parker. You start to get ideas."

"What Ideas? Like how your girlfriend would rather trade barbs with me all day than pretend with you? Because that's what it is, pretending." he says, straight-faced. "It's what's expected right? The cheerleader and the quarter back. Except, I have more chemistry with my toenail than you and Bonnie do."

"What do you know about chemistry? Hell, what do you even know about girls? Aside from the fact that you want to be one." It's an ongoing joke about Kai and his affinity for eye liner and nail polish and piercings. The abundance of toxic masculinity in this school has Kai repelling insults on the daily regarding his appearance. It's all so old.

"Ah, and there it is. I was wondering when my sexuality would come into question today. Does it ever get tiring? Lobbing the same ol' barbs?" He couldnt tally the number of times he's been called a faggot by Damon and his meathead friends. "But since you're dying to know, I can assure you, make up or not, I'm not hurting for female attention"

"Right, you have all the druggies lined up at your locker. Mystic Falls very own Casanova"

"Nah, I believe that title belongs to you. It's why you're in the dog house now, right?" A dark brow quirks on Kai's forehead. "Why so tight lipped? You mean you didn't tell your buddies the truth?"

"Shut your fucking mouth" Damon warns, growling.

"Make me"

And that's all it takes for Damon to lunge at him.

Kai, ready for the attack, brings up his fist. He's had to fight his whole life being the social outcast he was so he's always ready at any given moment but before fist could connect, Damon and Kai are being pulled away from each other by roided up dudes on both sides.

"Damon, chill '' A red-headed guy says. Kai recognizes it's the voice of the guy who questioned Damon for taking Bonnie back. "Coach is going to kill you if he finds out you've been fighting, not to mention your dad," he delivers the last line just above a murmur, but Kai's fox ears catches it. The mention of his father seems to erase the crazy in Damon's eyes. Seeing this, Kai goads, finally managing to get out the death hold he was under, "Yeah, Damon," he says, advancing. "You wouldn't want to disappoint _daddy._ "

A low growl erupts out of Damon, and then ginger hair is sneering at one of his buddies who initially held Kai back from getting to two, "Get him out of here" Someone makes to reach for him. But Kai is shrugging them off, "Don't touch me" Kai grounds out. Then, mood flipping like a switch, he throws one last smirk at the blue-eyed quarterback, before sauntering off out of the locker room.

* * *

News spread like wildfire of the almost altercation in the locker room. Thanks to _Chatter_ , the shit app created by one or possible more than one of Mystic Falls High gossip starved students. Except, the way the story was reported wasn't entirely true.. According to Nora, who tried to show him the posts but refusing to partake in such vapid drama, he'd promptly dropped her cell into the trash. After sifting it off a banana peel she made sure to tell him anyway. The recount was mostly correct aside from one discrepancy. Apparently, according to the _chat_ Damon managed to get a lick in before they were torn apart, which reeked either his or his friends doing. Most likely his friends, Damon was too scared of being kicked off the team and ruining his chance at playing college football to be the one responsible.

"Look at him posted up like he's a God" Kai hears Jeremy say on the other side of him.

His head immediately jerks up, eyes landing on Damon Salvatore. He's posted up on a row of lockers, the entirety of the insufferables surrounding him, yes, even her, joking and laughing like they didn't have a care in the world, like no one existed outside their bubble of lameness. It irked him how they thought they ran the school. No, _knew._ And why wouldn't they? Everything was centered around them, all anyone talks about was them, including his friends.

Narrowing his eyes, he watches the cute couple flirt with each other as their friends gush around them, as the school gushed around them. Kai eyes latches with Damon as he makes his way down the crowded hall. Amusement fills the other boys ice blue irises. A hand that was just innocently clutched around the cheerleaders waist, now lays possessively on her ass. A smirk, taunting in nature, turns up the corners of his lips as Kai eyes follows the movement. "Mine' the gesture said. His girl. His school. His crown. Except, Kai thinks it's time to dethrone the "King". "Jeremy?" he poses.

"Yeah?" comes from the brunet beside him.

"About that bet.."

* * *

"Where you been, boy?" his dad hurls at him when he gets home.

"Jeremy's. Where else is there to go in this godforsaken town?" he lies, he was at the falls, his go to place when he want to be alone, he'd be damned if he told his dad about his place of solace, for him to only intrude on later.

"It's damn near seven o' clock. Didn't I tell you last night I had an appointment to be at tonight?"

Kai plops down on the couch, tossing his book bag on the floor, not even glancing at his dad.

He reaches for the remote. "The bar isn't an appointment but whatever.. I'm here now. At your service. As always"

"Don't get smart with me boy" Joshua bellows, heated. Kai flicks his eyes up to find his expression matching his irate tone. He wondered how red he could get before he actually exploded. "If I tell you to be here by six then be here by six. I never have these problems with Josie, only you and your smart ass mouth"

"Right, Jo is perfect and I'm the disappointment. I think we've established that the last twenty million times you said it" he drones on, finding netflix on his firestick.

"Ever since you got that little side gig or yours you don't know how to act." his dad hisses, snatching the remote from him and flinging it across the room. Kai jaw works as he looks up at his father. "Don't think just because you started paying the bills around here that I'm gon' let you talk to me any kind of way. I'm still your daddy. You got that?"

Instead of answering, Kai stands up and questions in a levelled tone, "Have they eaten yet?"

Joshua has the nerve to look sheepish, the anger having totally leaked from his features. "No, I hadn't had time to cook." Because you were too busy drinking to care. Go on, say it. I won't judge. Much. "Fix 'em some spaghettiOs.. I'll be back in a few hours." Which meant he'll be strolling in sloppy drunk half past two.

Kai does that, fixes them something to eat. Not spaghettiOs though, instead, he cooks them the real deal, handmade pasta with Italian sausage and fresh garlic bread to boot. The entire fixings. The meal's delicious, too bad Jo wasn't here to enjoy it. Probably with Donovan somewhere. He'd have to text her to make sure she was okay. After the kiddos are all fed, he draws them a bath, lets them watch a little T.V. before finally putting them to bed around a half past nine.

After tidying up a bit, he plops down on the couch, flipping through netflix before settling on _Breaking bad._ He can't concentrate on the show though, all he can think about is what Saltzman said before, how he could do anything he wanted. How the sky was the limit. He wanted to gag at the time but now in the rundown trailer he called home, he started to wonder. Could someone like him, who was destined to fail from the get, go on to be successful in life? Even with all the odds stacked so heavily against him? No one in Kai's family had ever gone on to college. Would it be so out there to think that he could?

Jo definitely plans on going. She talks about it all the time, how she was going to Whitmore and how she would join a sorority.

Kai hadn't thought much about college, and by not much, he hadn't at all. Well, at least not since he was a kid. It wasn't high on his list of priorities. He lived in the now. And in the now, bills needed to be paid and since his dad blew most of his check on gambling and beer, it was up to him to take on the role as the man of the house and be the provider. Granted, selling drugs wasn't the most respectable gig, it paid the bills and a lot faster than working as a busboy at the grill would. But going to college and earning a degree meant he would no longer have to subject himself to selling pills to privilege rich kids, to subject himself to his father and his drunken rants. The sometimes physical abruse. It meant he could get out of this God forsaken town. It meant he could make something of his life, if not for himself then for the two kiddos passed out in the other room sleep. He decided right then and there, he was going to go to college, preferably somewhere far far away. But first he needed to graduate high school. And the only way he could do that was with the help of Bonnie Bennett. And if he so happen to simultaneously win a bet because of it, then even better.

* * *

"You should come over" Damon tells her as she loads her books into her book bag. Come over also known as pretend to watch netflix for twenty minutes before eventually hooking up.

She and Damon hasn't has sex since the whole Elena thing. She knows he's probably going out of his mind for the opportunity to _reconnect_ but she on the other hand couldn't garner any excitement for it.

"I have practice" she lies, knowing full well he could easily find out the truth from anyone of their friends. Not that they would snitch but Elena or Caroline not being at practice would kind of clue him in. She doesn't seem to care though if he does find out or not. She' wonders what that means.

"What about afterwards?" he presses, the tip of his nose gliding up her neck before kissing her behind the ear.

"I have that paper, remember?" Another lie, she turned that in yesterday.

His lips part from her skin. She watches as his head falls back in a gesture that expresses just how disappointed he is. Bonnie closes her locker shut, turns fully towards him. "Alright," he finally relents, not sounding happy at all but accepting there'd be no hanky panky tonight. Looking at her, he still manages a bit of hope in his expression, "Tomorrow, then?"

"Um..we'll see.." she bites down on her lip and he stares back at her like he wants to say something. But eventually he decides not to, "I gotta go" she tells him, when the silence drags on for too long.

He grabs hold of her elbow before she could take off, "We're good right?" those cerulean blues are drilling into her, demanding answers.

"Of course. Why wouldn't we be?"

"Oh, I don't know, Parker and his antics.." he responds, sulkily. "The rumors.." Oh, those..A new set of rumors hit the gossip rounds today.

She shakes her head as if to ward away such nonsense, "I'm good. We're good." she assures him, painting on a smile.

He still doesn't let her go, he's more perceptive than she thought.. "You'll tell me if we weren't, right?"

Her straight pearly whites makes a brief appearance, "Of course"

* * *

Bonnie is just wrapping up her conversation with Damon when she spots Kai leaning on a locker she's sure isn't his. A long black line of trouble is what comes to mind when she sees him. His eyes are already on her, his gaze, intrusive. Heat infuses her cheeks at the unnerving way he watches her. She swallows with difficulty, forcing her feet to keep moving. It's no mistake, he's been present for her and Damon's entire exchange, even down to the parting kiss which was more fiery than she usually allowed at school, but Damon was in some type of mood so she allowed it. Those blue-gray pools of intensity tells her he's seen all of this and he's judging her for it.

Ripping her gaze away from him, she continues her strut, shoulders back, chin tilted up in her 'I own the school' sort of way. She's dead set on passing him up and pretending like he doesn't exist but that plan gets shot to hell when his taunting voice calls to her in the nearly desolate hallway, "I see you and Hugh Hef are back together"

She slows on her stride, shooting him a poisonous glare, "Don't call him that" she growls, her anger whipping through her, getting ready to get in his face and immediately she regrets it when she sees the satisfied smirk edging its way along his lips. She feels her face flame. She fell right into his hands. His next words confirm this.

"That will power of yours." he drawls, shaking his head, like he's disappointed in her, pushing himself off the lockers. Beginning to circle her like a panther. "Shame, It didn't last beyond a day." Immediately, she feels embarrassed, like she's one of those stupid girls who keeps taking her cheating boyfriend back no matter how many times he steps out on her. But Damon didn't cheat so Kai can go to hell with his smarmy mug and goading words like he knows something. "So what did he say to get back into your good graces? Did he give you the whole, 'she fell onto my dick' spiel because I have to say, it's kind of played." Her nose flares, rage flaring within her, "Or did he own up to his transgressions and hit you with 'it was a mistake, baby. I'll never do it again yada yada ya"

"They weren't creeping around." she snarls, actually getting into his face this time. She locks eyes with his, holds them, "Whatever you think you saw, you didn't."

"Huh" It's not a question, he says it more in a realization sort of way.

"What?" she prompts, short on patience.

"Nothing." he says biting down on his lip, toying with the ring there and looking away briefly. "I just thought you were smarter than that"

"Excuse me?" she hurls at him, incensed.

He brings his eyes back to her and proceeds to roll them. "Look, we can go back and forth about your toxic relationship until we're blue in the face but that's not why I stopped you"

Oh, really? So he didn't stop her to try to rile her up? That was a first.

"Can you get to it?" she snaps, impatiently, "I would really like to not be seen talking to you." she states, looking around paranoid.

"Tutoring. We have a session"

She shook her head, uncomprehending. "What?"

"You're tutoring me." he says, no, tells her, like she doesn't have a choice in the matter. "You're going to get me out of this hell hole." he continues, gesturing lazily around the vacinity..

"And by hell hole, I'm assuming you mean high school?" she cocks a brow.

"Highschool. Mystic Falls. Take your pick"

She would laugh at his arrogance, like he just knows she'll do what he says, if she wasn't so angry. "And why would I do that.?" her tone, biting. "You're the reason I almost fell out with my best friend. You're the reason the entire school thinks I cheated on my boyfriend"

"I did you a favor, cheerleader. Did you really want to continue to be played like a fool? What am I asking? You're still with the douchebag, friends with the homewrecker. Of course you'd love to continue to live in ignorant bliss"

She turns to leave but he grabs her wrist. What she's not expecting is the flush of heat that rushes up her arm. Shaken, and quite frankly mortified, she snatches back her arm.

She doesn't allow her brain even a second to try to unpack _that._

"Stop _lying!"_

She watches his nostrils flare at the accusation, "You're right, I lied" he says, woodenly. The most bland expression on his face. Complete emptiness in his eyes. But what did she expect from him? He didn't emote. No, he did. Only ninety percent of his expressions were eternally bored, the other ten, crudely amused.

"I said what I said to piss you off" he continues on, and she's pulled into his gaze. "Because I hate you." he says it so lightly, like one would when discussing the weather, It's sunny out today or Today is Wednesday, so calmly, like its been said so many times, felt for so long, it no longer conjures up emotion. He continues on his voice as placid as his expression, "I know that's a horrible thing to say but it's true. What I feel for you Bennett, I can't even begin to articulate. So, yes. I wanted you to feel like shit and I knew using your best friend and your boyfriend was the perfect way to do it. I didn't think anyone would snap a photo of us. The last thing I wanted was to ruin my reputation by being linked to you."

She's taken aback by his response. She didn't expect him to admit the truth to her. Ever. She figured he'd just keep on lying until his deathbed.

And then there was the audacity. He didn't want to be linked to _her._ Malachai 'I have more tattoos than brains cells' Parker doesn't want to be linked to _her._

Everything inside her is screaming for her to slap the smug bastard but she knew by doing so would be giving him what he wanted. Instead, she says, her voice low and questioning. "You hate me that much, huh?"

His lip twitches but he doesn't allow himself to smile. "More" he answers, taking taunting steps forward, closing in on her with heedless disregard of her personal space. She immediately wants to back up but manages to stand her ground. The scent of sage fills her nostrils. She shivers.

"You're such an asshole" it isn't said with venom, more like the way one would when stating a fact.

"Says the girl who lies, cheats and back stabs her way to the top" she winces but quickly replaces the expression with a cold smile.

"You need me.." she reminds him. How dare he talk to her like this as if he wasn't the one asking favors? she thinks, her anger starting build again.

"And you need me"

He was referring to the addy.

"After all, isn't this your idea?" he reminds her, moving closer still.

_"What do you want, huh? For me to pay you double? Tutor sessions for a week? I'm sure you could use them."_

Right, she'd gotten so desperate she offered him tutoring lessons. But that was before.

"So, what do you say, cheerleader? Scratch my back, I scratch yours."

She _really_ needed that addy. Home work was becoming a pain to do. Assignments that was so easy for her to complete before was now taking her hours to do.

Relenting, she lets out a prolonged sigh, "Not here" She couldn't be seen with him at school. It would only fuel the rumors. Plus, Damon would snap if he heard she was interacting with the guy who nearly ended them. "You remember how to get to my house, right?"

He looks at her like she just asked him the dumbest question, "Of, course"

"Great. Meet me there in twenty." she tells him. And then before turning around, she says, the words coming out in a bark, "And _don't_ follow me" With that she walks off. She can feel his venomous eyes burning into the back of her skull.

* * *

"I can't believe this is life" Bonnie gripes, slugging off her book bag and throwing it recklessly on the couch. She doesn't even bother to mutter under her breath to spare him the insult. So doesn't care if he hears, she was still pissed at him for strong-arming her into this mess in the first place.

"Looks the same in here" he ignores her and her clear aversion towards him, taking a glance around the room. His tone, dull, as it always is, letting her know right away he's hardly reminiscing.

"Yeah, my dad's too sentimental to change anything. Look, before we begin," she prompts, getting straight to business. "I'd like my payment up front"

 _Because I don't trust you as far as I can throw you, buddy._ She wouldn't put it past him to get her to help him pass his classes only to renege on his promise in the end.

It's as if he's reading her thoughts. "What? Don't trust me? I have to say, Bennett, that kind of hurts" he puts on an exaggerated pout, placing a hand over his heart.

"Would you trust you?" she throws back, narrowing her eyes at him.

He lets out a snort, "Right, I'm the untrustworthy one. Just curious, do you ever get tired of revising history?"

She winces internally, not allowing her face to show her true emotions, how his comments always get to her. Putting on an impassive face, she out stretches her hand, palm up, wiggling her fingers only slightly. "Payment?"

One side of his mouth tips up as he approaches, making his expression shift from slightly annoyed to faintly humorous, "To focus right?" he says, looking at her like he doesn't for a second believe her reasoning for needing the pills.

"What does it matter what I need them for? Just hand them over" she tells him, her irritation starting to leak into her tone.

He's back to playing with his lip ring, pulling the silver metal loop into his mouth, like he'd done in the hallway at school, she doesn't know why the act causes a flutter within her. It's hard to tear her gaze away from his mouth, "Come get it" he cajoles, and her gaze flicks up, his reflecting a glint of dark humor.

Perfect brows furrow on her forehead, she studies him intently before taking cautious steps towards him. He was playing with her, making her come to him when he could easily have strided across the room to her.

He doesn't make a move to fetch them for her, just stares at her as she approaches, his lazy gaze never leaving her eyes. Even when his eyes are as expressionless as they are, she cant help but feel shivers run through her.

She stops two feet in front of him, and when he doesn't hand them over right away, tipping up her chin defiantly, she demands, "Give it to me."

It isn't until she watches the smirk slither over his lips, snake-like in appearence, that she realizes how it sounded to him, "Be _very_ specific what you're asking for Bennett" he says, his tone completely indecent, tipping his head down, his dark lashes nearly fanning his cheeks, bringing a hand up, he touches her face, caressing her cheek with his knuckles.

She jerks away, repulsed. Mostly.

"Don't touch me." she lets out a visual shudder. "And I think even you are smart enough to know I didn't mean _that"_

"Oh, I know." he drawls out slowly, boredly. His demeanor back to cool indifference. He gives her a flat stare, his hand dropping to his side."I'm not your type" There's not an ounce of emotion in his tone, more than clear he doesn't truly care, just stating the obvious. He isn't her type, just as she isn't his. "I'm not popular. Or play football. Or drool over your best friend.." His callous words has fury rushing through her veins. Her poisonous tongue, when she wields it to be, ready to spit venom, but then he holds up a hand in a gesture that says 'simmer down little one', "Just kidding." he smiles but it's cold. "I lied about that, remember?"

Bonnie frowns, not sure what game he's playing at, it was hard to determine with Kai, one never knew when he was being serious or simply joking, since he did everything with frustrating monotone. She watches him as he reaches into his pockets and finally hands her a whole week worth of pills. "Don't take it all at once" he tells her, dropping the little baggie in her hand.

She glares at him, snatching her appendage away and pocketing the pills. "Do I look like an idiot to you?"

"Do you _really_ want me to answer that?" he whips back at her with just as much bite. They enter a stare off. It lasts longer than she's comfortable with. Bonnie blinks first then sighs.

"Sit." she gestures towards the sofa. "Don't make yourself comfortable" she's sure to add on.

His eyes flatten. "Wow, has anyone told you your manners are just..stellar" he holds his hand up in a top notch gesture, but it's lazy like he could barely muster enthusiasm for the act.

She ignores him, following him to the sofa. He takes a seat on the couch, lazing back, definitely not _not_ making himself comfortable. She sits down beside him, making sure not to sit too close. "What subject do you want to begin with?"

"I don't care" he's quick to say.

"Clearly" she mutters sarcastically, as if to say 'that's the reason you're in this predicament to begin with' sort of way.

He sits up straight, unzips his bag. She watches as he pulls out all his books, his long lean ring covered fingers, taking them out one by one, painstakingly so. She's not sure why she's so mesmerized by the act. It's not particularly interesting. It's just hands, she tells herself but it's _his_ hands, her brain makes the distinction. Despite the rest of him being hard edged with all his tattoos and piercings, and overall grungy appearance - are quite elegant. What an uncomfortable thought. She tears her eyes away from his hands, weirded out by the thought of being fixated on them. _What was wrong with her?_

Her peripheral vision lets her know when he has all his books placed on the coffee table. Glancing up, Bonnie looks over the choices, contemplates, then picks up his Algebra textbook.

"I guess we can start with Algebra" She flicks opens the book, watching it land on a random page.

"Yeah," comes the low, listless tone, "No easing into things needed, lets start with the most difficult subject first"

"Fine." she huffs out, annoyed, slamming the book shut. "We'll start with government, unless, you know, that's too hard"

He doesn't comment which must've meant it was not.

They are an hour and a half into their study session, two subjects in, when Bonnie realizes she needs a break.

"I'm going to get something to drink. You want something?" she inquires, gesturing towards the kitchen. She stands, pulling her jeans that had ridden down up. Best not to flash an ass crack with shithead here, all she needed was him hurling inappropriate comments her way.

"Yeah, I'll take a rum and coke, light on the ice"

"Funny. I have water, water and you guessed it, water"

"However will I choose" he deadpans, tone dry.

Inpatient, one brow quirks up in a, 'Do you want it or not?' sort of way.

He provides her an answer. "Water it is and light on the ice, will ya?"

She scoffs. "As if you're getting ice"

* * *

Kai's gulping down his last swallow of water, which was tepid and quite frankly tasted like she got it straight out the toilet, which he wouldn't put it past her to do, when she says. "So, what changed your mind?"

"What do you mean?" he asks, eyes jerking to his tutor who's scrolling through her phone, probably texting her insipid friends, or her dim-witted boyfriend.

"About, graduating.." her eyes flick up at him, pausing on her texting. "Last time I checked you didn't care"

He gives her an unimpressed look, "Last time I checked, you didn't care that I didn't care"

"I don't" she argues, back to fiddling with her phone. "Just making conversation"

"Right" and the way he said it, all unconvinced-like, has her glancing up again.

"I could like care less" she tells him, since clearly she hadn't made her point clear before.

"Couldn't" he says, tonelessly.

"What?"

"It's I _couldn't_ care less" he draws the words out. "Saying you could _like_ care less." he says, imitating her but in a mindless twit sort of way, "Indicates that you care to some degree"

Her lips spread into an angry smile. "If only you could have applied some of that smart-ass-ness to your classes. Still a know it all." she spits. "You haven't changed a bit"

"And you've changed completely. Who knew you'd turn out to be such a self-centered cow" he accuses, not using the word he really wanted to use.

"If I was so self-centered, I wouldn't be tutoring you right now, I would have told you in the hallway to go fuck off"

He laughs humorlessly. "No, cheerleader. Don't act like you're doing me any favors, I'm only here because you need something from me. As far as I'm concerned, we're using each other"

At that exact moment, the sound of the front door opening then closing fills the room, effectively cutting their conversation short. Bonnie and Kai look at each other. "Bon, you home?" _Abby,_ Kai recognizes Bonnie's mom voice right away even though he hadn't heard its raspy cadence in years. The older woman's words, pulls Bonnie's attention away from him.

"Yeah, mom. I'm in the living room" she answers, her eyes dart towards the opened double doors, anticipating her mom to walk through them at any second.

It's a few moments before Abby steps through the threshold, her eyes finding Bonnie's but doing a double take when they land on Kai.

Pretty much sums up his experience with pretty much everyone.

"Bonnie, I see you have a friend over." she voices, a warm smile pulling at her lips. And not the fake one he usually gets with his friends parents. Not that Bonnie was a friend or anything. "Hi, I'm Abby, Bonnie's mom" she introduces herself, extending a hand out to shake his but Bonnie abruptly stops her with a chuckle, "Mom," she says, "It's Kai"

Number one words has Abby reeling, "Oh my god, Kai! I didn't recognize you." Of course she hadn't. She hasn't seen him in what four years? And he isn't exactly the cherub face kid he was years ago. "It's been so long since Bonnie had you over."

"Yeah, it's been a while." he acknowledges, starting to pack up his things.

"You're leaving?" Abby questions and Kai glances up at her, still loading books into his back pack. "You don't have to leave, I was just going to give you two some privacy." He hated how she was making it sound like he and her daughter were on a date.

"Look," he turns to Bonnie, his voice pitchless, "I gotta get going. My dad, he needs me to babysit the rugrats. See you Thursday?"

"Yeah, of course" she says looking a bit caught off guard by his abrupt departure because they had after all agreed to two hours of tutoring a day whenever their schedules permitted it but she doesn't comment on it. Probably secretly relieved. Now she can go primp in the mirror or paint her nails or whatever it was vapid cheerleaders did when they weren't yelling 'go team go' and throwing pom poms around.

"Cool" he says to Bonnie, then looks to Abby. She's watching them with extreme interest. God, he hoped she wasn't getting any ideas. If she thought he and Bonnie would rebuild what was lost years ago she had another thing coming. He needed her for one thing only..well, maybe two but neither had anything to do with a budding friendship. "It was nice seeing you again, Mrs. Bennett." And it was, he always liked Mrs. B., Bonnie's dad on the other hand..

He gives her the closest thing he could muster to a smile.

Hers climb on her face. "You too Malachai. And don't be a stranger! I'd really like if you two could rekindle your friendship, you and Bonnie were so close growing up."

"Yeah, we were" he admits reluctantly, tossing one last glance at One before leaving.

* * *

**August 2010**

_"Class quiet down" Mrs. Landry shushes, addressing the rowdy second graders._

_Bonnie eyes pop up from her homework assignment that she was triple checking to make sure she hadn't made any mistakes. Grams said all her answers were right but she figured one more check couldn't hurt._

_In front of the class stands Mrs. Landry and a boy. He's really small. He has dusty brown hair and even from the third row she can see the bluish-gray hues of his eyes._

_"Okay class, we have a new student" The round woman looks down at the newest addition to their class. His head now bowed, eyes on the floor. "Why don't you introduce yourself to the class" And when he doesn't, just continues to stare at the linoleum tiles, she places an encouraging hand on his shoulder, patting it gently. "Go on, don't be shy, Tell the class your name and a little bit about yourself"_

_After for what seems like forever, he finally speaks, tone low. Almost too low to hear. "Malachai"_

_Bonnie wants to frown thinking what kind of name was Malachai but doesn't because grams tells her all the time if she frowns enough her face will get stuck like that. She doesn't want to be ugly._

_"Class say hello to Malachai"_

_"Hello, Malachai" choruses the class._

_Even with a warm welcome from everyone Malachai eyes never flick up from the floor._

_Bonnie thought she was shy but this kid, he took shyness to another level._

_"Okay Malachai, why don't you go take a seat in the empty desk next to Bonnie." Finally, he looks up, she sees the relief on his face when he realizes he wouldn't have to share anything more about himself - Mrs. Landry clearly letting him off the hook due to his apparent aversion for speaking. His dark eyes rise, clearly to find out who their teacher is referring to but being there's only one empty seat in the class, his gaze immediately land on her and with his back pack in tow, he heads her way._

_After he's settled into his seat, Bonnie turns to him and smiles, "Hi, I'm Bonnie" she introduces herself. Maybe he could be her friend. She only had one and Daddy says it couldn't hurt to have more. It would definitely be nice to have someone other than Elena and her cousin Lucy come to her birthday parties._

_He only offers up a timid smile before quickly turning away. And with that the class resumes._

_It's at lunch when her attention is brought back to the new kid with the sad eyes._

_"What do you have in that lunch box of yours, Malachai?" Damon Salvatore says to the new kid, dragging his name out in a teasing manner._

_Malachai just shrugs, not providing the other boy with a real answer. This seems to madden Damon. "What, you cant speak? Are you like retarded or something?"_

_Snickers sound from around the table at Damons words. Bonnie, the only one not seeming to be amused by the comment._

_"I said what do you have in that lunch box?" he repeats, this time louder for the entire class to hear._

_Instead of answering, the new kid pulls out a sandwich, which looks to be, from the clear zip lock bag it's contained in, peanut butter and jelly._

_"Gross PB &J." Damon is frowning up like he's the one who has to eat it. Bonnie studies the shorter boy, he just sits there, his head tilted down while taking a bite out of his lunch._

_"Got any snacks? her black-haired classmate asks._

_Malachai shakes his head no but Damon doesn't believe him, getting up from his seat, he snatching Malachai's lunch sack from off the table._

_The gray-eyed boy goes to grab for it but Damon is too fast, too tall, playing keep away for a long while before Malachai finally gives up. It's apparent he won't be getting his lunch back until Damon gives it to him. When Damon is satisfied the smaller boy is no longer going to put up a fight, he goes rummaging through the sack. "No snacks." he frowns, disappointed, like he couldn't believe such a thing was possible. Bonnie was sure Damon had enough snacks in his lunch box to share with the entire class but instead he wanted to take someone else's. She felt anger for the shy boy who barely hit Damons shoulders and who was skinny enough that one shove could probably break his bones, "I guess this capri sun will just have to do" he says, throwing down Malachai's now empty lunch sack on the ground._

_"Give it back" Bonnie demands, before Malachai could, surprising herself and everyone else. She rarely ever spoke, only when Mrs. Landry called on her to answer a question in class or when she met up with her friend Elena at recess. So why the few times that she did decide to speak was to or on behalf of the new kid who could barely look at her?_

_"Did four eyes say something?" Damon questions, smirking and a ripple of snickers sound from the cafeteria again._

_Bonnie pushes up her glasses on her nose, refusing to be ashamed. "I said give it back you- you bully"_

_"Or what?" snarls Damon._

_Before she could respond, their teacher is approaching, a heavy scowl on her face. Uh-oh._

_"What's going on here?" she questions them, her tone having lost its usual sweetness, her eyes landing on mostly Damon and Malachai who are still standing up._

_Bonnie's the one who answers, even though the question hadn't been directed at her, "Damon stole Malachai's capri sun" she replies, honestly. It's what Grams tells her to do no matter what._

_Damon glares at her, "That's not true, I just wanted to see what snacks he had. I was going to give it back"_

_"Liar" Bonnie accuses, but Mrs. Landry scolds her, "Bonnie, we don't call classmates names"_

_"But he's lying" she whines._

_'Am not" Damon says in response, pouting huffily._

_Mrs. Landry sighs, not sure who to believe. "You three, come with me to the principal's office."_

_"Ooo" the class choruses as their teacher shuffles them all out of the cafeteria._

* * *

_She thought principal Saltzman would take Damon's side over theirs because he gets away with everything. Not today. Damon ends up getting in trouble. And he makes sure to glare and stick his tongue out at her whenever Mrs. Landry isn't looking. He even gets their entire class to turn on her. They all call her snitch now instead of Bonnie, which is nothing she guesses, compared to how Malachai is treated, no one will befriend him. No one utters a word to him and definitely no one goes near him at recess. He sits off to the side of the sand box watching everyone else have fun. Everyday. At least she has Elena, Malachai has no one to play with. Even his twin is off playing with her friends instead of him._

_"You wanna play with us?" Bonnie comes up to him one day at recess, Elena beside her. The other girl was reluctant to come but she'd managed to drag her along anyway._

_Startled, he looks up. She guesses he wasn't expecting anyone to approach him. Instead of answering verbally, he shakes his head no. Elena's quick to tug on her hand for them to go but Bonnie remains rooted in place. "Why?" she asks, curious._

_"Is it because we're girls?" Though she was barely, she preferred playing in mud over barbies any day._

_But he didn't know that and from her experience, boys hated girls no matter how tomboyish they were._

_Malachai didn't seem to like the average boy though. Surely, he thought playing with two girls wasn't as bad as playing alone._

_"No, I like being by myself" he tells her and she narrows her eyes at him._

_"I don't believe you" she relays, frowning._

_To this he doesn't say anything._

_"Elena brought her jump rope." she tries again, suggesting something they all three could do since she knew Elena loved it and she didn't want to leave her friend out. Plus, it was kinda fun. Maybe he would think so too. "We can take turns jumping"_

_At this he laughs. It's so sudden it shocks her. She didn't know he could laugh so hard. Or do anything other than sulk._

_"What? What's funny?" she asks him, starting to laugh herself. She couldn't help it, seeing him nearly folded over with giggles was amusing to watch._

_"Do you want to get me beat up?" he finally voices, chuckles still tumbling out of his amused lips as he clutches his belly._

_Right. Damon and his friends would pounce if they saw Malachai jumping rope with a bunch of girls._

_"We don't have to jump rope. We can get on the monkey bars. I bet you can't make it all the way across" she dares him._

_At this, his face lights up at the challenge, "I am the monkey bars king" he boast proudly, no longer sounding like the meek boy in the cafeteria who could barely muster up any words for his bully._

_Bonnie places a hand on her hip, rolling her neck in an exaggerated manner. "Prove it"_

_His grin grows confident like he couldn't wait to prove her wrong. And with that, they're off to the monkey bars._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so I don't know what happened, clearly I'm not going to be able to wrap this up in 3 chapters. And I so did not want to do another multi-chapter wip but here we are. Okay, so this will be a true enemies to lovers story Kai and Bonnie genuinely hate each other you guys no joke. I will continue with the flashbacks at different stages of their childhood and the telling of how they grew apart and eventually became enemies. So what do you guys think? Delena, we trust them or nah? Let me know in the comments. Remember reviews get you more chapters.
> 
> Okay..so give it to me. I know what's coming. I'm ready :D
> 
> Disregard the 2nd A/N It was for the last chapter and I can't get it to delete.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so this will be a very short fic, probably three parts max. I really cannot dedicate myself to another long multi-chapter wip. I will only update IF you guys want it, no reviews no updates, that's as simple as I can put it.
> 
> speaking of, if you are wondering what happened to my other fics, I will not be continuing Shhh, the support from the readers just wasn't there, I asked for feedback and I didn't get it therefore I took it down, my time is valuable and I refuse to waste it. Reckless, on the other hand may get put back up. I'm still undecided, I was gutted when I lost the final chapter which was like 20k words. Every single time I think about it I get mad, so be patient with me, I know you're itching for a conclusion and as much as I wanna give that to you I need time guys.
> 
> Anywho whaaduya think about the chapter? Was Kai brutal or nah? And Damon and Elena creeping? Should Bonnie pop off or should Bonnie pop off? Let me know in the comments..


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